As the year draws to a close, we don’t always know what to do next. And yet, we feel the need to take stock, to take stock. So how do we go about it? Where to start? Here are 10 to-do lists to end the year on a high note.

1 – A list of successes

We can’t end the year without taking stock of our achievements. In fact, being aware of everything we’ve achieved during the year feels really good.

It’s like realizing that this year has been worthwhile. We knew it, but now we’re going to see it in black and white, and that changes everything.

So, maybe you’ve got a memory like a goldfish, but that’s okay (laughs).

Indeed, trust yourself. Start by listing one thing, the last thing you did well. And let your mind do the rest. It remembers. Trust it.

What’s more, as you go through the 10 lists, you’ll find that certain things come to mind, so just pick up the list that corresponds to them.

Take your time, it’s not a race. In fact, you can make these 10 lists over several days.

To help you list your successes, I invite you to proceed by area of life: work, relationships, personal goals, yourself, health…

Go through everything and ask yourself: what have I achieved this year?

2 – To end the year on a high note, make a list of your failures

It’s important to take stock of your failures. Not to feel guilty, judge yourself or do anything negative.

But simply to become aware of where we are.

What’s more, our failures teach us a great deal. The problem is that, because we pretend they never happened, we can’t learn the essential lessons they teach us.

So, make a list of your failures. Again, proceed by area of life.

3 – List your joys

Here’s the list that makes you feel good! What are your joys this year?

Check out the vacations and parties. Look at your relationships.

Take a look at some of your successes. After all, the same things can be found in several lists.

Take the time to list your joys, so you can really feel the emotion of joy.

Because the aim of this exercise, to end the year on a high note, is to take stock, but also to feel a lot of joy.

Indeed, all too often, at the end of the year, we’re rather tired and stressed by the approaching festivities, so we tend to take a rather negative view of our year. So stop!

This year has been full of good things, even great things. What’s more, even the most difficult things have surely taught you important things.

4 – To end the year well, make a list of your sorrows

Taking stock of your year also means looking back on your sorrows.

Because it’s important to remember what touched us, made us cry, even tremble, to realize that we’re still here, still standing.

In other words, that we are strong, in any case, much stronger than we thought. And that feels really good.

What’s more, our sorrows make our joys seem all the more beautiful. What do you think?

5 – To end the year on a high note, make a list of what you’ve learned

To make this list, proceed by area of life.

What did you learn at work? In your relationships? Your personal goals? In your relationship with yourself?

What skills and qualities have you learned?

Finally, have you had any realizations that help you to live better today, for example?

This list is so good, because it reminds us that we’ve made progress in our lives, and that we’re going to keep on moving forward.

6 – The list of his regrets

Regrets don’t always get a good press, yet they’re essential to living a happy, successful life.

Because we need to understand that we’re here to learn, grow and evolve, and that our regrets are powerful driving forces.

In fact, they drive us to learn and grow, so that we don’t make the same mistakes over and over again.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to list your regrets. To do so, use the list of your failures.

Then, proceed by area. What do you regret doing or not doing in your work, your relationships, your personal goals and your relationship with yourself?

7 – To end the year on a high note, make a list of your 3 good resolutions

In fact, I invite you to list at least 3 good resolutions, which are also commitments, in relation to your regrets.

So, why 3?

Because there’s no point in making too many commitments or good resolutions. In fact, it’s inadvisable, because we run the risk of spreading ourselves too thin, of doing too much and therefore of dropping everything rather quickly.

That’s why you should take some time to think about 3 things you’d really like to change, so you don’t have the same regrets at the end of next year.

8 – List your 3 new good habits

Now, having regrets and making good resolutions aren’t enough to really change things.

In fact, to change things, you need to make concrete changes, and what better way than by setting up new good habits.

So, when I talk about setting up good habits, they don’t have to become stressful, burdensome constraints. In fact, I invite you to develop good habits that contribute above all to your happiness and joy.

Because if, year after year, you don’t keep your resolutions and good habits, it’s because instead of contributing to your happiness, they only add to your stress.

So it’s high time you did things differently to get different results. What do you think?

So, list 3 good habits you’d like to put in place to make next year a happy and successful one.

9 – The list of your gratitudes

We’ve come to the end of our lists, and what better way to end than with gratitude.

Gratitude is a real happiness magnet, which is why we must learn to practice it without moderation! (laughs)

So, I wholeheartedly invite you to make a list of your gratitudes for this year that is drawing to a close.

What are you grateful for? What do you feel particularly lucky about?

List everything. List at least 10 things!

10 – To end the year on a high note, make a list of 3 words

So, now that you’ve made your first 9 lists, I invite you to take 3 calm, deep breaths, then ask yourself what you’re feeling: 3 emotions, 3 feelings, 3 words that best define this end-of-year, this very moment.

What do you wish yourself at the end of this year, or what do you wish to remember about this year?

List 3 words. And I invite you to write them down everywhere so you can repeat them to yourself like a mantra until the beginning of next year.

These 3 words will remind you of what’s really important, and guide you in all your actions and thoughts, so you can keep moving towards what’s really important to you.

What do you think?

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover Start the year off right: 5 tips to get you off to a good start
Discover Taking stock of your year: 10 questions for a fresh start

I recommend this inspiring book:

The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country by Helen Russell

Helen Russell’s book offers a light-hearted, insightful exploration of Danish culture, where the concept of hygge (comfort and contentment) plays an important role. By immersing herself in the Danish way of life, the author discovers practices that contribute to happiness. The book provides inspiration on integrating hygge principles, encouraging positive rituals and adopting simple pleasures to end the year on a high note and carry this positivity into the future.

The book is interesting, personal and amusing in places. Denmark is clearly an interesting and egalitarian society.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself