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What is YearCompass?
YearCompass is a free, downloadable booklet that guides you through closing out one year and planning the next. Rather than a list of resolutions, it uses a structured set of questions and exercises to help you review what happened, spot your own patterns, and decide what you want from the coming year. The site describes it as a reflection-and-planning tool that takes "a quiet few hours" to complete, and it is offered in many languages and in both hand-fill (printable) and digital formats, in A4 or foldable A5 sizes.
Who it suits
- People who dislike rigid goal-setting: the emphasis is on understanding direction and patterns rather than building a task breakdown. One reviewer quoted on the site, Csaba E., describes having trouble putting their own needs into words and finding the booklet "gently forced" honest self-reflection—useful framing if you tend to define yourself through others' expectations.
- Anyone who wants a deliberate pause at year-end: another quoted reviewer, Andrea B., notes how easy it is to slip from one year into the next and values the booklet as a reason to slow down and check whether they like where they're heading.
- Journalers and reflective planners who are happy to spend an evening or afternoon writing by hand or typing.
Trade-offs to expect
It is a reflective exercise, not a project-management system: if you want reminders, tracking dashboards or weekly reviews, you would pair it with a separate tool. Its value depends on actually setting aside uninterrupted time and answering honestly—rushed completion tends to produce generic answers.
Practical next step
Decide first whether you'll fill it in by hand or digitally, since that determines which format and size you download; if printing, check the site's printing guide before choosing the foldable A5 version. Then block out a few hours, ideally before the new year starts.
How do I download and print the YearCompass booklet?
Download it directly from YearCompass: choose your language, then a format (Standard for filling in by hand, or Digital), then a size (A4, A5, or the small foldable booklet), and use the free download button. The site also links a printing guide for a smoother result.
Practical steps
- Pick the language you'll actually write in—this matters more than it seems, since the exercises ask for honest, reflective answers.
- Choose Standard if you plan to print and write by hand; Digital if you'd rather fill it in on a device.
- Choose the size by your printer and binding. A4 prints on standard office paper and is easiest to read and write in. A5 saves paper and is more portable. The small foldable booklet needs careful double-sided printing and folding—check the printing guide before you commit.
- Print a test copy of the first few pages in black and white to check margins and legibility before printing the whole thing.
- Set aside a quiet few hours with the printed booklet, as the site suggests, rather than filling it in piecemeal.
A realistic scenario
If you want to do this with a partner or friend, print two A4 copies and work through them in the same room, then compare answers. If you're traveling or short on time, the A5 version fits in a bag for filling in over a few evenings.
Decision criteria
- Printer quality and patience: A4 for simplicity; small foldable only if you're comfortable with duplex printing and folding.
- Handwriting vs. typing: hand-filling tends to slow you down in a useful way; digital suits people who type faster than they write.
- Language comfort: pick the one where you can be most candid, not necessarily your first language.
As a next step, read the printing guide on the site before printing, and consider doing the "close the year" section in late December and the "plan the next year" section in early January so the two halves stay distinct.
How is YearCompass different from traditional New Year's resolutions?
YearCompass replaces the single act of declaring a resolution with a structured, written review-and-planning process. Traditional resolutions are usually one-line promises made in a burst of optimism ("exercise more," "save money"). YearCompass is a free, downloadable booklet of carefully selected questions and exercises meant to be filled out over a quiet few hours, first reflecting on the year that passed and then designing the year ahead. The site's own framing is blunt: "New year's resolutions don't work. YearCompass does."
The practical differences come down to how each approach handles the past, specificity and follow-through.
| Dimension | Typical New Year's resolution | YearCompass booklet |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | A forward-looking promise | Reviewing the year just ended first |
| Format | A sentence or short list | Guided questions and exercises, filled in by hand or digitally |
| What it produces | An intention | A written record of patterns, wins and a direction for the next year |
| Time required | Minutes | A few quiet hours |
| Access | Free by nature | Free download, with optional formats (standard or digital) and sizes (A4, A5, foldable small booklet) |
The review step is the real departure. A resolution assumes you already know what to change; the booklet asks you to uncover your own patterns, learn from mistakes and name victories before deciding where to go. One user quoted on the site, Csaba E., describes being "gently forced" to face himself and answer honestly how he wants his life to go—an experience of self-confrontation rather than goal-setting. Another, Andrea B., values it as a deliberate pause at the turn of the year to check whether she likes the direction she's heading.
The trade-off is effort and structure. If you want a quick, flexible intention you can hold loosely, a resolution costs nothing and imposes no format. YearCompass asks for a committed block of time and a willingness to write honestly; its questions won't do the thinking for you. The site also notes it has been used by more than a million people since 2012 and is available in dozens of languages, so you can work in your own.
A useful next step: if you've abandoned resolutions before, try the booklet once and treat the review section as the main event—set aside a quiet few hours, answer the past-year questions first, and only then write next year's direction. If that feels like too much, a single page of the same questions is a reasonable middle ground.
What questions and exercises are included in the YearCompass booklet?
The YearCompass booklet is built around a guided sequence of reflective questions and short exercises rather than a simple goal list. According to the site, it uses "a set of carefully selected questions and exercises" to help you uncover your own patterns, learn from mistakes, celebrate victories, and design the year ahead. The site describes the process as needing "a quiet few hours" with the booklet.
What the booklet asks you to do
Based on the site's description, the exercises fall into two broad halves:
- Closing the year: reviewing what happened, what you learned, what you would repeat or avoid, and what you want to celebrate. The stated aim is to notice patterns in your own behavior rather than judge the year.
- Planning the next one: deciding the direction you want to take, framed around "designing the ideal year for yourself" instead of writing resolutions. The site explicitly argues that "new year's resolutions don't work" and positions the booklet as a substitute for that habit.
The site does not publish the full question list on its landing page, so the exact wording of each prompt isn't visible there. What is clear is the format: pick a language (dozens are offered, including Chinese, Arabic, and many European languages), pick Standard (to fill in by hand) or Digital, and pick A4, A5, or a foldable small booklet, then download and work through it.
A practical way to use it
Set aside one uninterrupted block for the closing section and a second block, ideally a day or two later, for the planning section. Reader feedback quoted on the site suggests this spacing matters: Andrea B. describes YearCompass as a way to "slow down and experience the start of the new year," while Csaba E. says it "gently forced me to face myself" after years of defining himself through others' expectations. My own read: the two-sitting structure keeps the review honest before you start aiming at goals, which is the main advantage over a one-page resolution list.
If you want a shorter, more goal-oriented alternative or a second opinion on the method, the official sites for YearCompass and general journaling approaches are worth comparing, but start with the booklet's own closing section—that is where its distinctive value sits.
How can I contribute a translation of YearCompass into my language?
YearCompass invites readers to help translate the booklet when their language isn't already listed. On its download page, after the language selector, the site says: "Don't see your language? Help us create the translation!" That is the route to take if you want to contribute a translation.
Practical next step
Start from the language list on YearCompass and follow the translation link shown there. Since the page only signals that translations are community-created, treat the exact process—how text is submitted, reviewed and credited—as something to confirm through that link rather than assume.
What to prepare
- Check the existing list first. The site already offers many languages, including regional variants such as English (GB/US), Portuguese (Brazil/Portugal) and several Arabic variants. If your language or variant is absent, that is the gap to fill.
- Expect a full booklet, not a few labels. YearCompass is a set of questions and exercises for reflecting on the past year and planning the next, so a translation needs to carry tone and intent, not just literal wording.
- Decide on your variant early. If your language has strong regional differences, clarify which variant you are translating so reviewers know what to check.
A realistic scenario
Suppose you want a Hungarian-speaking friend to use the booklet but their preferred variant isn't covered, or you speak a language entirely missing from the list. The sensible move is to open the translation link, see what format the project expects, and offer a sample section first—this shows your style and lets the project confirm fit before you commit to the whole booklet.
How to judge whether to take it on
Translation quality matters most for reflective prompts, where a clumsy phrase can change what someone writes about their year. If you are comfortable writing naturally in the target language and can work through a long document carefully, you are well placed to contribute. If your strength is only conversational, pairing with a native reviewer is the safer path.
How can I support YearCompass as a supporter?
YearCompass invites people who find the booklet useful to become a supporter, but the page itself doesn't spell out what that involves. The only concrete support route it describes is financial: a "Become a supporter!" prompt sits alongside the free download, and the booklet is offered at no cost, so contributions are what keep it that way. If you want the exact tiers, amounts or perks, check the supporter page linked from the site rather than assuming a subscription model.
What the page does confirm
- The booklet is free to download in many languages and in standard or digital formats.
- The site asks for support rather than charging for the product.
- A newsletter signup is offered separately from supporting.
Practical ways to help beyond donating
- Translate. The site explicitly asks for help creating translations for languages not yet covered — useful if you're fluent in one of the missing ones.
- Share it with a specific person. The booklet suits someone facing a transition — a job change, a move, a first year living alone — more than a general audience.
- Use it first. The testimonials on the page, from readers like Andrea B. and Csaba E., describe slowing down and facing their own patterns honestly. That experience is the best basis for recommending it.
How to decide
If you mainly want to say thanks, a one-off contribution fits. If you want ongoing involvement, translation or spreading the word costs nothing and matches what the site actually asks for. Start by opening the supporter link on YearCompass to see the current options before committing.
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