The “New Year Season” is one that can be rife with mixed emotions, reactions, and approaches. Some may feel excitement at the chance to start with a fresh slate, some may find themselves engaging in self-criticism as they set their new year’s resolutions, and others may disregard the idea of the time construct and the marker of a new year entirely. Engaging in discourse with loved ones about their viewpoints, emotions, and plans for the new year can be an incredible way to connect more deeply. You’ll learn more about them and their perspective on life while getting the chance to reflect on what you want this next year to look like together, and how you may support each other in that. Conversations about the new year can be triggering for some - so approaching these conversations with meaningful questions that omit judgment and leave space for a range of experiences and thoughts is of the utmost importance. Try out the questions below, and see how much more connected you feel to your loved one going into the new year!

1. What are you most excited for this year? What are you hoping to get out of that experience?

2. What is scary or uncomfortable to you about this year as you look ahead?

3. Does the idea of equating the new year with new priorities or changes resonate with you? Are there other time markers you use instead? 

4. Are there ways other than time markers (like the new year) with which you measure or check in on progress or on your internal status quo? What’s helpful about your process?

5. Which relationships do you want to prioritize this year? 

6. When thinking about goals, intentions, etc. that you may be prioritizing, do you tend to gravitate towards internal work (think: emotions, mindsets, mental health, etc.) or more external marks of progress (think: work goals, time- or number-bound goals, certain physical goals, etc.)? How has that worked for you in the past? Are there shifts you want to make to your approach moving forward?

7. What emotions does the new year season bring up for you (like excitement, grief, anxiety, relief, etc.)? Has this changed over time?

8. At what points over the past year did you feel like your best self? How do you think you could replicate that state of being more often in the coming year?

9. What did you notice about my progression over the past year? In what ways are you proud of me, and what questions might you want to ask me?

10. Is there anything I can do to support you as you embark on whatever you may be facing or working towards this year?