6 Introspective Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before New Year’s Eve

If you want to make 2024 the best year yet, you need to figure out what makes you happiest – and what makes you miserable. Here are some introspective questions you should ask yourself before New Year’s Eve:

Are you happy with your current circumstances? If you could magically change one thing with the wave of a magic wand, what would you change?

Sometimes, we’re not afraid of change itself. We’re afraid of putting in the work to change. We’re afraid of the amount of time it would take and the exhaustion it would cause. But if there’s something you wish you could change with a magic wand, it’s probably worth putting in real effort. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it in the end.

Which people bring out the lightest, happiest version of you? And which people cause you to feel more insecure about yourself?

It doesn’t matter how much history you have with someone, how much you love someone, or whether you share blood with someone. If they are only making you miserable, then you need to remove them from your life. Only surround yourself with people who make you feel comfortable, happy, and authentically you.

What is bringing joy to your life? And what is making you the most stressed?

If there’s a certain activity that brings you joy, then make sure you make enough space for it in the new year. Don’t deprive yourself of what gives you the most joy. And if you can avoid whatever is stressing you out, do that too. Or at least make a change in order to make the stress more palatable. Remember you have the power to completely change your circumstances, so use it wisely.

What bad habits are making your life harder than it needs to be? What small steps could you take to turning these habits around?

You’ve probably tried to break your bad habits before, but haven’t had any luck. In order to make sure this time is different, try breaking it down into smaller, more actionable steps. Baby steps are still steps in the right direction, so take it slow. Be easy on yourself.

What goals are you most disappointed about failing to reach this year?

Instead of dwelling on how upset you are about failing to meet expectations this year, think about ways you can make those same goals a reality next year. Think about what you could do differently each day, how you could alter your schedule to fit in the things you deem the most important to you.

How do you want your life to look differently by this time next year? What do you hope it different about yourself?

The first step to figuring out how to change your life is pinpointing what you wish was different about your life. Once you know the traits and circumstances you want to change, you can start brainstorming ways to make it happen. Something as simple as ‘I want to feel more successful’ will lead to more questions like, what exactly does success look like to you? How do you define it—by material items, by the size of your paycheck, or by how fulfilled you feel?