In 2022, I started logging what I called my “high points.” It began as a simple project with two intentions. I wanted to return to journaling, and I wanted to break a habit I didn’t realize had taken hold—constantly replaying the moments that didn’t go according to plan. It’s easy to get stuck there. As people, we often focus so intensely on the difficult moments that we overlook the good ones entirely. We become tunnel-visioned, fixed on what knocked us down, until the good around us fades into the background.
This practice became my way of interrupting that cycle. It was a reminder that no matter how heavy things felt, there was still light somewhere ahead. Anything that made me crack a smile—no matter how small or fleeting—earned a place in the log. Over time, I learned that the size of the moment didn’t matter. Focusing on magnitude only distracted me from the meaning. What mattered was how that moment made me feel in that point in time.
2025 became a clear example of why I needed this list. It was a year filled with highs and lows, a constant emotional back-and-forth that left me, at times, wondering what I had even accomplished. Toward the end of the year, I felt disconnected from myself. When that happened, I returned to the list—not to relive the past, but to reground myself. Reading it reminded me that the year wasn’t defined solely by its hard moments. Once I began writing consistently, I saw it clearly: there was so much to be proud of. New experiences, familiar comforts, and—most importantly—an abundance of good moments. This practice taught me to value small wins with the same gratitude as the big ones.
Everyone’s list will look different. There may be overlap, but no two will ever be the same. One of the most important lessons this year reinforced was the importance of not comparing my life to someone else’s. Comparison has a way of diminishing the value of what we’ve accomplished. We’re all moving at different paces, chasing different goals, and finding fulfillment in different ways. What nourishes one person may not resonate with another—and that’s exactly what makes it meaningful. When you take the time to write these moments down, you begin to understand yourself more clearly. Perspective sharpens, and appreciation grows.
So the next time you feel like you’ve wasted time or that a year didn’t live up to expectations, pause and reflect on what went right. No matter how small it seems. When you’re finished, you may be surprised by how much you’ve written—and how much you’ve truly accomplished. There is always light ahead, even if you can’t see it yet. Sometimes, all it takes is looking back to remember it was there all along.
