As another year draws to a close there is no better time to reflect on the past year and perhaps also project forward to what lies ahead in 2025. The promise of a new year is another chance. But to understand where we want to go, we have to understand where we have been. Thankfully meaningful reflection can assist here.

I and many other academics encourage our students to engage in reflections as a way of learning and growing, but how often do I actually undertake meaningful reflection related to my work… the answer is not as often as I’d like to. In the scheme of things, reflecting on what we do can quickly fall down the list of priorities, or perhaps even never make it onto the list to begin with.

Reflecting does not have to be an arduous task but it does require a little time to be set aside to do it justice. In truth, writing this post actually prompted me to undergo the reflection exercises that I’d written about. So, my hope is that it will do the same for some of you reading too!

A certain amount of vulnerability is needed when we commit to purposeful reflection. We never quite know what we're going to uncover until we do. You may not always like what you find, but it will likely be valuable nonetheless.

So, to reflect on your work this past year, I encourage you to engage with the following questions:

- What is one lesson you learnt this year that you want to take forward into 2025?

- What are the key milestones or achievements you’re most proud of this year in your role as an academic?

- What were the most significant challenges you faced this year, and how did you navigate them?

- What was a particularly rewarding moment with your students or colleagues this year?

Though you’ll likely want to steer clear of the dreaded New Year's resolutions, there is something to be gained by projecting forward.

One simple exercise is to imagine yourself one year from now. If the year has been a success, what are some of the things that you can imagine have happened that have allowed for this success?

This exercise will help you identify what you truly value, while also providing some hints about the things you can work towards to make the year a success!

For those of you who want to go even deeper, consider this simple pie chart exercise. The first pie chart is for 2024 and the second for 2025. Each pie chart consists of four categories; family, work, health and fitness, and self-growth (anything that helps you get your energy back).

For the first pie chart let's consider 2024. The more honest you can be in this exercise the more useful it will be. Of the 100% energy you utilised in the previous year, what percentage of this was dedicated to each of the four categories. What does the split look like? Is there anything you're surprised by?

Completing the pie chart provides a great opportunity to think about something things you can do, however small, to shift the balance. Now for 2025, how do you intend to use your energy across these four categories? Does it look similar to 2024 or are you intending to make some shifts here?

Having made my own pie charts, I was surprised how dominant some of the categories were (though it wasn’t really that surprising, truth be told). But it did prompt me to consider what I could do within my current restraints to create better balance. I’m happy to report that there are some positive changes I intend to make in 2025.

So, it’s time to hand over to you. Why not set aside a few minutes to reflect on 2024 and project forwards to see what might be possible in 2025!

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