Does it feel like every year flies by faster than the last? You blink, and suddenly it’s December.

That’s been my story for a while now. The rush of life blurs together, and before I know it, I’m left wondering where all the time went.

But I’ve found a way to slow it down when I pause. When I’m intentional. When I let myself really remember something—an experience, a conversation, even just a feeling—I press the brakes on time. Those moments stick, and they become more than just a passing blur. They become part of my story.

So, I’m doing something different this year to close out 2024. I’m asking myself five intentional questions. Five prompts to help me look back, remember, and truly connect with the year that’s just flown by. Because this time, I want to end the year with more than just a calendar page flipped—I want to end it with meaning.

Here are the five questions I would encourage you to answer with me. Let them serve as a foundation for the year to come.

Table of Contents

1. How Well Did You Treat Your Body?

Your body is the only place you’ll ever truly live. It carries you through every triumph, every challenge, every moment you experience. So, how well did you treat it this year? Did you fuel it with care or push it beyond its limits? Did you listen when it needed rest, movement, or a little extra kindness?

This question forces you to make intentional choices to better care for your body or not. Only you can make the choice to take better care of yourself, and you need to think about that. How are you supporting the only body you’ll get in this life?

Don’t let this question make you feel guilty. Instead, embrace it to create awareness. These reflections will help you remember that your body carries you through everything, and it deserves better than being an afterthought.

2. Who Did You Spend My Time With, and Are You Happy?

You are the people you surround yourself with. It’s a cliché because it’s true.

The conversations you have, the energy you absorb, and the habits you pick up all come from the company you keep. So, when you think about the people you spent the most time with this year, ask yourself: Did they inspire you? Challenge you? Support you? Or did they leave you feeling drained, unseen, or unfulfilled?

Sometimes, we don’t get to choose who we spend time with—work relationships, family obligations, or even the friends we’ve known forever but don’t quite connect with anymore.

The question is, do the people closest to you—the ones you choose to let into your inner circle—reflect the life you want to live?

If the answer is yes, that’s worth celebrating. Nurture those relationships because they’re the ones that fuel you. If it’s not, don’t worry. Now you know. Who do you want to spend more time with next year? And who might you need to step back from, even if it’s just a little?

The people you surround yourself with aren’t just your companions—they’re part of the story you’re writing for your life. Make sure it’s a story you’re proud of.

3. What Did You Work On, and Did It Work for You?

Not every year is the year you get to dive headfirst into your passion. Bills need to be paid, responsibilities stack up, and sometimes, your work feels more like survival than fulfillment. That’s okay. We don’t always chase our passion in big, sweeping gestures.

Even when it’s not your dream work, there’s meaning in what you do. Maybe it taught you something new, gave you stability, or allowed you to show up for the people who matter most.

The point isn’t to judge yourself. You have to figure out if the work you’re doing is moving you forward, even in small ways. Because when you know what’s working for you, even the smallest steps forward can lead to something bigger.

4. Where Did You Find Unexpected Joy, and How Can You Seek More of It?

You are the moments you choose to notice. Unexpected joy has a way of sneaking in when you’re not looking—when you’re too busy or too caught up in the noise of life.

Maybe it was a random laugh with a stranger, a quiet walk that felt like a reset, or finding something beautiful in the most ordinary place. These moments don’t scream for attention, but they leave an imprint when you take the time to notice them.

Think about where you found joy this year. Was it in the small, unplanned surprises? The spontaneous adventures? Or maybe it was in the simplest routines—like hearing your favorite song at the right time. Recognizing these moments creates memories and helps you learn what truly lights you up.

Slow down enough to let life surprise you. Leave space in your schedule to try something new or do nothing. That’s where life feels the most alive.

5. If You Could Write a Headline, What Would It Say?

You are the story you tell about your life. If you had to write one for 2024, what would it say? Would it be something bold and triumphant? Something quiet but meaningful? Or maybe something surprising that you didn’t see coming?

This question forces you to look at the year as a whole. It goes beyond what you achieved or didn’t. It’s about recognizing what mattered most–capturing moments, growth, and lessons that shaped you.

Your headline sets the tone for how you move forward. Think of this year as a prologue, framing what feels true and setting the stage for what’s next.

What’s the story you want this year to tell? Because that story becomes the foundation for the one you’ll write next.

Be Intentional With What Truly Matters

These five questions are more than prompts. Use them to reconnect with yourself and build the life you want.

As you answer them give yourself grace. Be honest about what worked, what didn’t, and what you want to change.

Let this year become the foundation for something even better in the one to come. The answers are already within you. You just need to ask the right questions intentionally.

Theresa Bedford

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Theresa Bedford is a lifestyle and relationship writer with a passion for self-development and to live life to the fullest. She writes about relationships, mindfulness, and simple living. Her work has been seen on the AP newswire, MSN, Wealth of Geeks, Media Decision, and more.