40 End-of-Year Journal Prompts to Reflect and Prep for the New Year

Hey, lovelies! ❤️

The first week of December is already over, Christmas is around the corner, and it’s almost time to wrap up 2025 and prepare for a successful and wholesome new year. There are a lot of ways to reset for 2026, but today I’m focusing on one of my favorite ones: journaling.

Why it’s important to do an end-of-year reflection with journal prompts

As you know, journaling is a powerful tool when it comes to self-reflection and personal development. Keeping track of our thoughts and feelings helps us process important life events more effectively and make the right decisions more easily.

Journaling is an even more valuable practice when it comes to reflecting at the end of the year. It gives us the time to pause and think about everything that has happened over the past 12 months, acknowledge the lessons of 2025, and celebrate our small or bigger wins.

In other words, an end-of-year journaling practice can help you:

• set the right intentions for 2026
• celebrate your accomplishments
• reflect on the challenges on 2025
• express your gratitude for all the good things that have happened so far
• realign with your life vision and dream self
• start the new year with a fresh focus

If you don’t know where to start, there’s no need to worry. In this post, I’m sharing 40 end-of-year journal prompts to help you finish 2025 in the best possible way!

These writing prompts will guide you in both reviewing 2025 but also preparing for a meaningful and successful 2026.

40 Powerful Journal Prompts for the End of the Year

Reflecting on 2025

1. Describe in 1-3 words what 2025 was about.

2. What are my top five favorite memories from 2025?

3. What was the biggest challenge of this year?

4. What was one action that I kept repeating and it kept me stuck?

5. What are the 10 things I’m most grateful for in 2025?

6. What is the one thing I choose to leave behind before heading into the new year?

7. What is the most important goal that I accomplished this year?

8. Who are the people who made the biggest impact in my life in 2025?

9. What was my biggest lesson in 2025?

10. If I could have done one thing differently this year, what would that be?

11. How did my life evolve in 2025?

12. Is there a goal that I no longer believe in or I don’t feel committed to anymore?

13. What’s my biggest accomplishment in 2025?

14. What was the most meaningful experience of 2025?

15. In what ways have I neglected myself? What steps can I take to change that in 2026?

16. What about 2025 was new to me?

17. What is the one thing I need to forgive myself for before the new year?

18. How did I express my creativity this year?

19. How did I step out of my comfort zone in 2025?

20. What was my biggest strength this year?

Preparing for 2026

21. What about 2025 am I bringing into the new year?

22. What are the daily habits that I want to have in 2026?

23. What are my top 3 goals for the new year?

24. What is the identity I want to take on in the new year?

25. How can I express myself more unapologetically in 2026?

26. How do I want to be and feel in one year from now?

27. What personal qualities do I want to develop this year?

28. What are the hobbies that I want to focus on?

29. What would I do in 2026 knowing that I couldn’t fail?

30. How can I prioritize myself in the new year?

31. How can I connect more with myself in 2026?

32. What are the habits, routines, or actions that I DON’T want to repeat in the new year?

33. What will make me feel fulfilled in 2026?

34. What is one change or one goal that would make the biggest impact on me?

35. What are the actions I can take to stay faithful to my life vision?

36. How can I feel more confident in 2026?

37. What are the aspects of my life that I want to prioritize in the new year?

38. What is the word or the phrase of 2026?

39. What are the values that I want to prioritize in 2026?

40. What are my most important intentions for the new year?

Final Thoughts

As 2025 comes to an end, let’s take a moment to pause and reflect on everything that happened this year. Even if 2025 wasn’t everything you hoped for, it’s okay. Take a breath and celebrate it because you’ve made it this far! It’s time to make peace with it, journal it out, and most importantly prepare for a successful and amazing 2026.

I’m proud of you, and I hope you are too!

Happy journaling! ❤️