As the calendar year comes to a close, the busyness of the holiday season can make it feel like there’s no time to pause. After all, there are deadlines to meet, presents to buy, and merriment to make before the year slips away. Trust us, we get it. As a woman-owned and mom-operated business, we’ve all been there as the “magic makers” (and multi-taskers) of the holidays. Amid the hustle and bustle, taking a mindful moment can feel challenging, but it’s a gift we give ourselves—a moment to breathe, wonder, and reconnect. Setting aside even a little time for reflection can be a transformative practice that positively affects both our personal and professional development.
On a personal level, self-reflection helps you recognize how far you’ve come, celebrate your wins, and acknowledge areas where growth is still possible. And in business, setting aside time to reflect can be equally powerful. It provides an opportunity to honor your achievements, assess the effectiveness of your strategies, identify skills or knowledge gaps, and compare notes with your team. This process helps you realign your goals with your broader worklife aspirations, ensuring your efforts remain intentional and impactful.
We invite you to try some of the prompts below to inspire your reflection journey. With a clear understanding of where you stand and where you wish to go, you can step into the new year with confidence, ready to turn intentions into meaningful action.
Prompts to Guide Your Year-End Reflection
To make your self-reflection process more structured and meaningful, consider using thoughtful prompts to guide your introspection. These questions can help you uncover insights about your past year and set a strong foundation for the one ahead:
- What accomplishments am I most proud of this year, and what steps led me to those successes?
Reflecting on your wins allows you to celebrate progress and recognize the habits or actions that contributed to your achievements. - What challenges did I face, and what did I learn from overcoming them?
This question helps you see growth in adversity and identify areas where you’ve become stronger, more adaptable, or more resourceful. - What habits or behaviors have served me well, and which ones do I need to let go of?
Evaluating your routines and mindset can clarify what’s working for you and what might be holding you back from reaching your goals. - How aligned were my actions with my personal and professional values?
This prompt encourages you to consider whether your decisions and efforts reflect your priorities and long-term aspirations. - What do I want to carry forward into the new year, and what fresh opportunities do I want to pursue?
By focusing on continuity and new possibilities, you set yourself up for intentional growth and success.
Team insight180’s Reflections in 2024
We asked our team to think back on the last 12 months and share some highlights of the year and a few goals for 2025. Here’s what they shared:
“Seeing our work come to life in print is always a highlight for me. Something about being able to touch the pages is very gratifying. Like the Adventures in Early Learning booklet we did for the library —designing this activities book allowed me to tap into my imagination and creativity in a different way. ” – Bethany Howell, insight180 Art Director
“The i180 Team having my back… literally! In April I went to Italy, a bucket list trip for me, and it was an experiment in balancing remote work and fun. The insight180 team was amazingly supportive. And then again in August, after the passing of my mom, I experienced a bad fall, fracturing my wrist and back. Once again team insight180 came to the rescue. They stepped up and didn’t miss a beat; they even delivered meals and laughter when I needed it most.” – Wendy Baird, insight180 President
“Stepping out of my comfort zone and presenting at Ignite Howard County #9 was a personal and professional highlight for me. It filled my creative bucket and exercised my public speaking muscle. I was thrilled to have each member of team insight180 in the audience supporting me!” – Andrea Kagey, insight180 Client Communications Manager
“I enjoyed connecting with the i180 team at our spring company retreat. The photoshoot with Pam Long Photography was fun, and I enjoyed getting together in person to collaborate and plan with the team.” – Joann Francavilla, insight180 Office Manager
“I really enjoy the ‘project reveal’ moments that happen during our weekly Zoom meetings. Seeing all of the hard work we’ve put into projects manifested into beautiful logos and websites for our clients is always a highlight for me.” – Elizabeth Doubleday, Marketing Strategist
Looking Ahead to 2025…
“I’m keeping my eyes open for new sources of design inspiration. I enjoy following design trends and seeing how other artists are pushing boundaries in print, online, and website design. It helps me tap into my creativity. I also want to fully embrace more of the online tools we use everyday, like Google Workspace.” – Bethany
“One of my personal goals for 2025 is to get more involved with the local business community.” – Joann
“In 2024 my husband and I made a point to get out for long walks or jogs at some of our favorite local parks. I’d like to continue this connection and reflection practice into the new year as well!” – Elizabeth
“More in-person meetings with my team. Working remotely definitely has its advantages, but we all can benefit from the opportunity to gather, connect, and collaborate in person a bit more frequently. Plus, sometimes I just miss them!” – Wendy
“I’m excited about making time to embrace my creativity in the new year. I have some personal projects that are calling out for attention! Also, I enjoy finding new and creative ways to assist our clients in their marketing campaigns and I look forward to more opportunities to do just that!” – Andrea
Happy new year to all of our clients, colleagues, friends, and family. Thanks for coming along for the ride! Team insight180 is looking forward to serving your branding and marketing needs in 2025. If you’re looking to amp up your marketing efforts in the new year, reach out. We’d love to connect with you!
