How to Make 2026 the Best Year: 6 Questions to Ask Yourself

What It Covers

Mel Robbins shares her 22-year year-end ritual using six research-backed questions to review the past year and plan ahead for making next year your best year ever.

Key Questions Answered

• •Year-End Planning Framework: Use six questions covering low points, high points, lessons learned, what to stop, start, and continue doing to create intentional life changes based on actual experiences.
• •Looking Back Before Forward: Review your camera roll and calendar from the past twelve months to extract real data about your experiences rather than relying on memory for effective planning.
• •Stop-Start-Continue Strategy: Apply this corporate strategy framework personally by identifying what to quit (that no longer serves you), what to begin (aligned with your values), and what to maintain from successful habits.
• •Intrinsic Motivation Connection: Connect your goals to deeply personal meaning derived from your actual experiences rather than external shoulds to create sustainable motivation for change throughout the year.
• •Processing Negative Experiences: Research from UC Irvine and Penn State shows acknowledging and writing down difficult experiences reduces stress and physical health issues while creating psychological distance from negative thoughts.