(You can listen to the blog post above or read on down below)! 

If you’ve been following along in this goal-setting series, you already know I’m not interested in hype-y, pressure-filled planning that burns you out by week two. I want plans that actually fit your real life and help you grow in faithfulness, peace, and purpose.

And that starts with something most of us skip.

Before we make new goals… before we build new routines… before we write a single list for the year ahead… we need to do the very first (and honestly, most clarifying) step:

Look back on last year with an accurate view.

Not through the lens of guilt. Not through the lens of “I should’ve done more.”
But with honesty, gratitude, and wisdom, so we can see what really worked, what quietly wasn’t working, and what God may be inviting us into next.

Because you don’t need a perfect fresh start date to move forward.
You need clarity. And clarity almost always begins by looking back.

Why a Year-End Review Matters (Before You Set Goals)

Most of us skip straight to the “new year plan.” New routines! New schedules! New systems! New goals!

But if you don’t pause to look back first, you’ll almost always do one of two things:

1. Repeat the same patterns (because you never identified what actually wasn’t working), or

2. Make an unrealistic plan that looks great on paper and falls apart by week two (ME! I do this!!)

A year-end review helps you slow down and ask:

• What actually helped our home feel peaceful?

• What consistently made things feel chaotic?

• Where did my priorities drift?

• What’s one small change that would make life noticeably better?

That’s where real planning begins.

Step 1: Start With Gratitude (This Matters More Than You Think)

Before you evaluate what needs to change, start with what’s good.

Not because everything was easy, but because gratitude reorients your heart. It helps you see that God was present, even in a hard year.

Try writing down:

• A few things you’re thankful for from this past year

• A handful of answered prayers (big or small)

• Small joys you don’t want to forget

And if you have the energy? Keep going. Some of the sweetest year-end reviews happen when you turn the paper over and just keep writing.

Gratitude doesn’t erase the hard things. But it keeps your review from becoming grumbling, complaining, or self-condemnation.

Step 2: Ask Your Family What They Remember

This part surprises people every time. Because we tend to assume we know what mattered most, what made the year “good” or “hard”, but your husband and kids might remember something completely different.

Ask them:

• “What was your favorite memory this year?”

• “What are you thankful for from this year?”

• “What did you love doing as a family?”

And don’t be surprised if their answer is something simple. Not the big trip or the elaborate holiday moment.

Sometimes it’s: “Remember when you played Legos with me?” And you’re like… Really? That’s the moment you held onto?

Yes. And that’s such a sweet reminder of what actually lands in your kids’ hearts.

Step 3: Name the Hardest Thing (Without Over-Explaining It)

A year-end review isn’t complete without honesty.

Write down the hardest thing about the year: just a sentence or two.

• Was it a hard season emotionally?

• Health issues?

• A new baby?

• A move?

• A stressful schedule?

• A lack of routine that slowly turned into chaos?

You don’t have to process your whole life on one sheet of paper. The goal is simply to acknowledge reality. Because naming the hard thing helps you stop carrying it like a fog you can’t explain.

Step 4: Evaluate Your Life in the Right Order

This is where year-end review becomes deeply grounding.

Instead of starting with “my home” (which is where many of us start), evaluate in this order:

1. My relationship with God

2. My marriage and parenting

3. My home and homemaking

Because you can have the most perfectly clean house in the world… and if your heart is dry and your relationships are hurting, a sparkling kitchen doesn’t fix that.

So ask three simple questions in each category:

1) My relationship with God

• What worked?

• What didn’t work?

• What needs to shift?

This doesn’t have to be dramatic. It might be:

• What worked: “I found a Bible reading plan I actually liked.”

• What didn’t work: “I didn’t make time for it consistently.”

Even that insight is valuable, because now you’re not stuck in vague guilt, you’re seeing a clear next step.

2) My marriage and parenting

• What strengthened connection this year?

• What consistently caused tension?

• What rhythms do we need more of?

Sometimes the issue isn’t that you need a better routine. Sometimes you need more margin, more communication, or more intentional time together.

3) My home and homemaking

This is where you can finally get practical:

• What routines brought peace?

• What areas spiraled into overwhelm?

• What one or two “pain points” made everything feel harder?

For many women, the big culprits are:

• Laundry

• Meal planning / kitchen rhythm

• Bedtime / sleep habits

• Morning routine (which is often tied to evening routine)

And here’s what I’ve found: often there are one or two small changes that would make your whole home feel lighter. But you can’t see them when you’re overwhelmed and thinking, “Everything is awful.” A year-end review helps you pinpoint what’s actually happening.

Step 5: Look for Patterns (Not Perfection)

You’re not doing this review to judge yourself. You’re doing it to notice patterns.

For example:

• If you’re always stressed in the morning, check your evening routine.

• If your home feels chaotic, look for one “keystone habit” (like laundry or dishes) that affects everything else.

• If you keep falling off routines when life gets hard, your next plan needs more flexibility, not more intensity.

This is where a lot of women have a breakthrough: They don’t need a bigger plan. They need a smaller plan they can actually stick to.

Step 6: Choose “Small and Sustainable” for the New Year

This is the part that changes everything. Because many of us want to set a 30-point checklist… or a 130-point checklist… and overhaul our whole life in one week. And it doesn’t work. (Ask me how I know.)

Instead, as you plan your next year, ask:

• What’s one priority God is putting on my heart right now?

• What’s one routine that would serve my family well in this season?

• What’s one tiny habit that would make the biggest difference?

Small changes feel insignificant in the moment, but over time they build a completely different home.

A Gentle Reminder If You Feel Behind

If you read this and realize, “Wow, I really didn’t do the planning I wanted to do,” let me remind you: It’s not too late. Not even a little bit. Today is a new day. God’s mercies are new every morning.

So don’t beat yourself up.
Don’t wallow in guilt.
Don’t throw in the towel because you missed an “ideal” start date.

Just take the next faithful step.

Your Simple Year-End Review Prompts:

If you want a quick place to start, here you go:

• What am I thankful for from this past year?

• What are my 5 favorite memories?

• What was the hardest thing about this year?

• What worked in my relationship with God? What didn’t?

• What worked in my marriage/parenting? What didn’t?

• What worked in my home/homemaking? What didn’t?

• What is one small change that would make the next season feel more peaceful?

Then pray:

“Lord, give me clarity and wisdom. Show me what matters most. Help me take action with humility and joy.”

Want to Do This Together?

If you’d like hands-on help with planning and goal setting, I’m hosting live trainings January 12–16 inside our Planning & Goal Setting course.

Each day we’ll meet live, I’ll teach you how to:

• set realistic goals
• break them into action steps
• plan in a way that works with your life (not against it)

You’ll also receive all of my planning worksheets so you can take immediate action.

If you’ve struggled to make goals that stick—and you want 2026 to be different—join me for our 3rd annual planning retreat. We’ll do it together.

Sign Up Here!