You Wrapped: The Pre-New Year Resolution You Didn’t Know You Needed

Welcome to You-Wrapped! The essential step before setting New Year Resolutions. This year, you’ve grown in unique ways, experienced various emotions, stepped into new chapters, defeated old fears or discovered new ones.

This year, you’ve found love, lost love, stewarded friendships or let some go, made mistakes and achieved success. You’ve faced challenges, embraced growth, and discovered parts of yourself you never knew existed. 

Whether this past year was full of BIG moments or quiet and simple, it was a year in which you made choices that filled a bucket of growth, healing, transformation, or even the opposite (Truth Hurts). It may have also been a year where life made its own choices for you, maybe through the loss of a loved one or an unplanned event. But, there was no stagnation. Every decision, and every experience, pushes you in some direction, and here you are, shaped by the choices made, the emotions felt, the people you’ve encountered, and the experiences you’ve lived. Each moment has contributed to your YOU-WRAPPED.

Each year comes and goes, and with it, the cycle of New Year’s resolutions often goes away. But what if the reason these resolutions fail is because you don’t take the time to reflect on what you truly need to work on, or on the progress you’ve already made? Real change doesn’t come from a fresh start alone, but from using the knowledge and growth of the past year to approach the future with renewed purpose and strategy.

Before you dive into setting new resolutions, It’s time for a reflection. Inspired by the familiar rituals of Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay, this guide invites you to create your YOU-WRAPPED. This year-end reflection can be used as a journaling experience, a time capsule for future comparisons, or even a fun ritual with friends like PowerPoint presentation nights paired with snacks or New Year’s Eve party activity. By making it a yearly tradition, It can create a meaningful way to pause, reflect, and celebrate a person’s years journey. 

UNWRAP YOUR YEAR WITH THESE GUIDE :

The Emotion That Carried You

It’s no surprise that emotions have taken centre stage in how we navigate life. But if this year had a theme song, what emotion would it sing about? Just like your Spotify or Apple Music Wrapped reveals your most-played songs, your year also has an “emotional wrap.” 

Think of it as a ranking of the feelings that defined your journey because emotions are fluid, temporary, and always in motion. 

 In answering this question you don’t have to remember all the feelings you felt this year but you can sum it up with your reflection questions or these examples below: 

• How do I feel right now?
• How do I think I felt 11 months ago?
• What key moments mattered the most this year?
• What made me feel the most connected to who I am, alive, grounded, or fulfilled 
• What emotion lingered the longest?
• Where is my emotional state in January, April and December 
• How often did I practice Gratitude this year?

Once you’ve explored these questions, try ranking your emotions down to a top five. These will lead you to the ultimate question: What is the emotion that defined your year? And remember, it doesn’t have to be just one emotion, life is Nuanced, and so are you! 

The MVP of Your Year

The most sent text at the end of the year often revolves around gift ideas, Christmas plans, New Year wishes and your daily conversation with friends, family, or a partner but maybe it’s time for you to say thank you, a thank you that sums up all the spoken or unspoken gratitude for those that showed up for you this year. 

Here’s a news flash, your MVP might just be YOU. Perhaps this year, you became your friend, the one who cared for yourself, poured love into yourself, and showed up when no one else did. Don’t be shy about claiming that title.

Reflecting on your MVP for the year is important because you can acknowledge the support, love, mentorship, and growth you’ve experienced over the past year. It’s a reminder that you are not alone in your journey and in challenging or non-challenging situations you’ve been able to count on others or yourself. This reflection allows you to enter the new year with a sense of clarity and gratitude which sets the tone for the resolutions that are rooted in appreciation for both the people around you and the strength you’ve found within yourself 

Some questions to help guide your reflection and gratitude:

• Who showed up for you when you needed them most?
• Who made you laugh, cry, or grow the most?
• If you had to dedicate your “yearbook” to one person, who would it be?
• Who is the friend/friend who earned MVP status this year?

Now present that Award!

Your Highlight Reel Moment

It’s time to put on your third-person boots and not dim what you were able to achieve this year. This aspect is important to look at because it doesn’t only entail the project you finished, the job you landed, or the money you made. It can be going out of your comfort zone, trying something new, standing on business, ending relationships, or building relationships on your terms, etc. Highlight the moments you are most proud of and don’t you dare include ‘small’ in your reflection.

You can start with these questions:

• What 3 achievements made you feel unstoppable?
• What 3 moments did you surprise yourself with your own courage or effort?
• What 3  moments this year would you replay on your personal highlight reel?
• What is the success that made this year yours?

The Oops That Taught You

We need mistakes to grow, learn and become wiser. Mistakes help you recognize what you can do better to connect with your best self.

To guide your reflection ask yourself :

• What’s 3 mistakes that made you pause and reflect this year?
• Was there a “fail/fails” that led to unexpected learning or growth?
• If you could redo 3 moments, would you and why?
• Did your Oops teach you?

The Lesson You Didn’t Know You Needed

The unexpectedness of life is both Scary and beautiful, sometimes it throws you off but it ends up aligning well with what you need to know to react to your New Year Resolutions. The only problem with this is not recognizing the lessons in those thrown times. Reflecting on this at the end of the year is a good way of acknowledging and being grateful for the lessons you didn’t know you needed.

To guide your reflection ask yourself :

• What lesson came from the challenges you faced this year?
• Was there a truth about yourself or life that you finally accepted?
• How did this lesson change the way you see yourself or others?
• What is the most important lesson you’ll take forward?

What’s in Your New Year Suitcase?

The anxiety from last-minute packing may show up here, but having an idea of what you already are going to pack relieves it a little. So what’s in your New Year suitcase

Take a moment to reflect and pack your year’s suitcase with purpose with these questions :

• What mindset, habit, or practice do you want to bring with you into The New Year?
• Which relationships, skills, or experiences will continue to serve you?
• What are you “packing” to make next year even more intentional?
• What are you taking with you into The New Year?

The Weight You’re Leaving Behind

Your baggage may have been overweight one too many times when entering a new year. Maybe you were okay with paying the price for extra luggage, but it’s time to prioritize and that may have been a struggle in previous New Year Resolutions. This year, focus on carrying only the essentials—leaving space for everything your next journey will bring.

Figure out the weight you are leaving behind with these guide

• What fear, habit, or belief no longer aligns with who you’re becoming?
• Is there something you’re ready to forgive yourself or others for?
• What part of 2024 are you releasing to move lighter into the new year?
• What are you leaving behind in 2024?

Your Year, Defined

With all your reflection define your year in three words. 365 days summed up in three simple words may seem impossible, but using three words makes it all feel less overwhelming and more within reach. Sitting with those words and meditating on them is a meaningful practice for this reflection prompt. Remember, you have the power to continuously redefine your year. Take this moment to intentionally define the year that’s passed, and then set a clear vision for what you want the New Year to become.

These questions can guide you :

• If this year were a book, what would the title be?
• What three words or phrases sum up the story of your 2024?
• How does this word remind you of what mattered most this year?
• How intentional were you in defining the past year, and to what extent were your actions aligned with the words you chose to describe it? ( rate on a scale of 1-10)
  

And That’s A Wrap

Before you create your New Year Resolutions, honour where you’ve been because reflection is the first step toward creating a future that truly matters. Recording each You Wrapped each year is a great ritual and tracker. For extra self-care during your reflection practice, you should check out ‘‘5 Mindful Activities…That Won’t Let Your Mind Wander’’.