I spent about 10.5 hours at the beginning of the year with YearCompass. Spread over three days: two days reviewing 2025 (about 8 hours total), then another 2.5 hours planning for 2026. With breaks in between for insights and processing, as this always takes a lot of energy for me.
I hadn’t used YearCompass for my annual reflection since two years, because I hadn’t gotten the benefit from it in previous years. I had invested a lot of time and wasn’t satisfied with the results afterward. This year I felt the urge to give the whole thing another chance and it was different.
YearCompass is available in many languages and is a truly valuable tool for me. So clear recommendation for those who don’t know it yet and want to try it out. You don’t have to spend as much time as I did – do what makes sense for you. The rest will come naturally and it will surely be worth it.
My most important insight: How much I overwhelm myself with my ambitions. I take on too much without realistically considering my capacity. This awareness alone made the reflection and planning valuable, because it helps me approach 2026 differently, hopefully more realistically, more grounded.
I became aware that I want to pay more attention to the following themes:
- Practice gratitude, humility, and modesty
- Find serenity, calm, confidence, and joy in everyday things
- Be the best version of myself
The path there? Pay attention to my thoughts, be loving toward myself, and act accordingly.
As Lao Tzu put it so well:
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become your character.”
2026 in one word for me: Stand up! It has multiple meanings for me, as there’s more context behind it. What’s your word for 2026?
Another wish for this year: I want to write more again in 2026, externalize my thoughts, and use this blog for that purpose.
With that: Happy New Year and all the best, if you’ve read this far! 🥳🍀💫
Patrick
P.S.: If you have an impulse, want to leave something, or share your perspective, I would be very happy about it.
Personal Blog of Patrick Sauerwein 