Around the end of December/beginning of January, I try to complete the exercises in the YearCompass workbook. It helps me assess how the past year went and what I’m trying to accomplish in the year to come. In the past, this has helped me decide to push forward with publishing a book (Recognize Fascism), apply to grad school, and make a quilt.
I almost always add extra exercises to my YearCompass, in addition to the workbook published for free online. I thought it might be helpful to post a short roundup of those extras for others, too.
First off, I really like the photo-focused year review put together by Struthless on YouTube. That was pretty fun to use, last year and this year. (The link to Struthless’ doc is in the video description if you just want to use the document but not watch a video. I really enjoy his videos, though!)
A lot of my added content this year is stuff I prompted myself to think about, and I thought I’d share it here, as well.
On the World Stage This Year: Things that happened this past year that weren’t in my personal life per se but impacted me emotionally/financially/etc.
Frequent Flyer Events on the Calendar: What was part of my routine this year on a regular basis? What grounded me? This is kinda the opposite of page 4 (which is about looking for big events or significant projects from last year’s calendar).
Followups from 2025: As I went through my 2025 calendar, I made a list of things that I intended to do but didn’t manage and might want to do in 2026. A meeting I should reschedule, a chore I want to do more regularly, a project I forgot wasn’t finished, making vet appointments for the cats, etc.
2025 Stressor List: What stressed me out in 2025 that I might want to do or see less of in 2026?
Who Do I Want to Be Proud of Me? Beyond people who influence me or are influenced by me, who do I want to be proud of me when I’m doing stuff this coming year?
Bingo Card Options: If I were making a Bingo card for 2026, what might I want to put in the spaces and try to do for fun?
2026 Pasta Quest: What’s a fun adventure thing I want to do when the opportunity strikes? (Based on this Instagram post from a few years ago.)
People to Call or Take Walks With: I periodically need to remind myself that I have friends; most of them are just not local. Sometimes listing them out prompts me to call or text them when I’m lonely. I wasn’t great at keeping in touch with friends in 2025, so I particularly want to work on this next year.
Other Questions: What’s something physical I want to accomplish in 2026? What’s something intellectual I want to accomplish in 2026? What goals do I have that need some scaffolding in order to be successful?
Crystal Huff 