Reflect and Reset List | List Producer

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This year had so many ups and downs for me. There was a lot to celebrate and be grateful for, and some hard moments too.

I’ve been thinking about how to move into 2026 holding these memories close, while also making room for new opportunities that I’m really excited about. That’s where I got the idea for a Reflect and Reset List.

We can get so focused on what we “didn’t get” or “didn’t do” that sometimes we glaze over what we did do. You have to look back in order to look forward — and it’s a good time of year to do that. At first I felt like nothing much happened in this year, but once I made this list, I saw how much there was to reflect on.

This list is all about taking stock of the past year and using that to motivate you and shape your goals moving forward.

TIP: If you’re feeling stuck, look back through your camera roll for inspiration. You might be surprised by what memories you captured there!

I suggest breaking it up into categories to make it more manageable. For me, these categories are personal, professional, travel, and books and media. Depending on your year or what’s happening in your life, you might add other categories like hobbies or kids. That’s what’s so great about this list — it’s totally customizable.

And remember, you don’t just need to put positives or “wins” on this list. The goal is to capture all the good stuff and the challenging aspects as well. All of it matters.

To give you some inspiration, here’s my Reflect and Reset List.

Personal

Said goodbye to my best friend Nicole who died of pancreatic cancer at 46
Celebrating my husband Jay’s Grandma’s 100th Birthday in December
Made progress on getting my tarot card reader certification
Got reiki for the first time thanks to my friend Kathy Bero

Professional

Signed with fiction literary agent
My novel is on submission with publishers
Got the rights back to my second, book, Listful Living, and the original publisher closed
My first book, Listful Thinking, got sold to Simon and Schuster
Started teaching at Writer’s Digest University
Supported my long-time mentee through some career shifts

Travel

Visited The Oregon Trail with my friend Polly Campbell
Went to the Hollywood Bowl with my husband Jay and best friends
Ate at my favorite restaurant, Zahav, in Philly

Books and media

Started watching Blood of my Blood the prequel to the Outlander series
Listened to the audio version of Rick Steves’ On the Hippie Trail
Read and used The Cards You’re Dealt: How to Deal When Life Gets Real by Theresa Reed, The Tarot Lady.

Looking ahead

Expanding my column in Writer’s Digest Magazine
Speaking at the Erma Bombeck Writer’s Workshop
Finishing the Outlander series
Watching Season two of Nobody Wants This
Would like to do some kind of creative painting or drawing project
Hoping for a book deal for my novel
Looking forward to sharing more content about lists and how to use them to manage life
Traveling to new and exciting places and also revisiting some of my favorite spots

This is just a rough start but I plan on refining and sharpening this list. Specificity helps to make things tangible. It can make a big difference in your goal setting for the new year to see everything you accomplished (and everything life threw your way). Because whether it feels like it flew by or dragged on and on, a year is a long time! Let’s make the most of the new year by honoring the past year first!

What’s on your Reflect and Reset List?

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