Ten years ago, I came across a tool called “YearCompass.” At the time, I was looking for a way to understand what had been a challenging year. I had a calendar, planner and goal-tracking templates but lacked motivation, inspiration and insight. The circumstances of my life and those close to me felt overwhelming, and I was paralyzed by the thought of making the next big decision.
Instead of the clarification I thought I would gain from such a tool, YearCompass proved too much that year. I struggled to answer the questions, and the pages lay empty on my desk as a reminder of another unfulfilled ‘to do.’ I did not have the energy to reflect upon the year behind me or the one in front.
It was not until the third year after discovering YearCompass that I could complete it. I followed my efforts in subsequent years with the momentum of answers found and newfound gratitude for what had transpired in the in-between.
Since then, I have completed the exercise several times, including this year. It has become a New Year ritual I have shared with others.
YearCompass is a free download, first created in 2012. It has since gone viral and become an international movement with the involvement of over 500 volunteers in 61 countries and a recorded 2,000,000 downloads last year (yearcompass.com).
The YearCompass inventory consists of personal questions about the prior and upcoming calendar year. Although the questions may sometimes feel repetitive, they encourage deep reflection about closing out one year and beginning the next.
Questions include prompts on important and meaningful events, descriptive sentences about the past year, and space for the best moments, accomplishments and challenges. The section on the previous year also provides room for “Forgiveness” and “Letting Go.” The year ahead considers areas for growth, such as personal life/family, careers, community, health, habits and hobbies. There is the place to “Dare to Dream Big,” describe a “Secret Wish,” and choose a “Word for the Year Ahead.”
Some years, the thoughts, ideas and words come readily to me – and others, the questions feel overwhelming and unanswerable. But if you are drawn to encapsulate your year and record hopes for the next, YearCompass is a way to do so. It can be completed in one sitting, over time, by yourself, or with others (I have done both enjoyably). If you decide to take the time, I offer a few suggestions:
- Find a comfortable place and consider leaving your devices behind
- Enjoy your solitude in quiet or accompanied by soft music
- Have water, tea, coffee or another beverage of choice nearby
- Take time to look away and stretch, and consider breaking up the time into sessions
- Pick it up and put it down; feel free to add or subtract and change your answers
- Share with someone special
- Re-visit throughout the year for gratitude, inspiration and motivation
YearCompass is available as a fillable or printable PDF here. It is accessible in multiple languages and different sizes. If you decide to do your own version, you can share your process or answers on social media at #yearcompass or take a peek there for inspiration.
Discover more information about the team and its origins at www.yearcompass.com.