And not just the year: the first quarter of the 21st century is also flying by at an absurd speed. Yes, it’s already so fast that we’re just a few days away from the end of December. Between doctor’s appointments, outbreaks, unanswered emails, parties we didn’t go to and others we went to afraid of getting too tired… the year has flown by. But before it’s completely gone, it’s worth pausing and looking back. Not to judge ourselves, or to make a list of “shoulds,” but to take an honest and kind look at what happened this year, and thus give ourselves a 2026 that is a little more tailored to us.
What is this assessment about?
It’s a simple but profound exercise. And, at least for me, it’s more realistic and useful than making New Year’s resolutions that we forget by the second week of January. It’s not about “reinventing” ourselves, becoming someone else, or pretending that everything was wonderful. It’s about looking honestly at how your year went, including your multiple sclerosis, and asking yourself: What do I want to take with me into next year, and what am I ready to let go of?
How to do it (without complicating your life)
You don’t need anything fancy: just paper and pencil, or a notebook you like, a little time without too many distractions (or do it in stages). And if you have a planner, calendar, or journal, even better: they’ll help you remember things that already feel distant. Perfection is NOT the goal. If you can only write down two ideas today because you’re tired, that’s fine. You can come back tomorrow. The important thing is to give yourself the space. With your blank sheet of paper in front of you, I suggest you review your year in terms of a few key topics.
- Your health: how are you feeling at the end of the year?
This may be the most difficult question, but it’s also one of the most important.
- Do you feel that your health is better or worse than last year?
- What happened that made the difference? Was there a flare-up? A change in treatment? A recent diagnosis?
- Did you discover anything new about your body, your symptoms, your limits?
It’s not about comparing yourself to anyone else, or to an “ideal” version of yourself. It’s about seeing, realistically and without guilt, where you are today.
You can write something as simple as: “This year my health was more stable than last year because…”. “This year was harder because…”. And then write down specific examples.
2. Your body: beyond the “Great body of the moment”
Let’s talk about your physical condition, but without falling into the trap of the “great body of the moment” culture.
- Do you feel stronger, weaker, or more tired than last year?
- Was there anything that helped you physically, even if only a little? Walking a little more, doing physical therapy, stretching, chair yoga, resting when you needed to.
- Did anything change in your diet? Did it help you, or was it just another source of pressure?
The idea is not to judge yourself, but to take note: What worked? What hurt you? What could you tweak a little bit to feel better next year?
3. Your mind: how was your inner world?
Living with multiple sclerosis is not just a physical issue. The mind also gets tired, scared, angry, and adapts.
Ask yourself:
- How was your mental health this year?
- Did you feel more anxiety, sadness, anger, fear?
- Did you find something that helped you cope? Therapy, medication, meditation, talking to someone who understands, support groups, writing, crying alone without explanations.
There are no right answers here. Only your truth. You can write: “This year, I found it very difficult to accept…” “I was surprised to realize that I can…” The important thing is to also recognize the resources you have built up to keep going.
4. Your relationships: who was with you this year?
Here you can take a look:
- Your family relationships
- Your friends
- Your partner (if applicable)
- New people who came into your life (sometimes other people with MS, healthcare professionals, people you met online)
Ask yourself:
- Who was your network this year?
- Who supported you, even if it was just with a short message?
- Which relationships cooled off or caused pain?
- Did you set new limits to protect yourself?
It’s not about making a list of “good” and “bad” people, but rather recognizing how your relationships have changed and what you need from them in 2026.
5. Your personal projects
When we talk about projects, we tend to think of big things: launching something, changing careers, writing a book. But sometimes the big project was simply to keep going, learn to listen to your body, reorganize your daily routine to include rest.
Think about:
- Personal projects, big or small: studying something, creating content, starting a business, taking up a hobby again, caring for plants, reading more, starting therapy.
- What progress have you made, however small it may seem?
- What did you have to put on hold because of MS, fatigue, or lack of resources?
You can write down: “This year I achieved…”. “This year I couldn’t cope with…, and that hurt me, but I also learned…” Naming these things helps you see that you haven’t been “standing still,” even though you may have felt that way at times.
6. Your home: where and how are you living?
Ask yourself:
Your home is not just a physical place. It is the space where you rest, recharge (or drain yourself).
- Does your home, room, or environment feel like a place that cares for you?
- What worked well this year? What didn't?
- Is there anything, even something small, that you would like to change to make your home a little kinder to your body and your energy?:
- A more comfortable place to work
- A space to relax without guilt
- Small adaptations that make it easier for you to get around
It doesn’t have to be a major renovation. Sometimes, a very specific change makes all the difference.
7. Your job (or career options)
Multiple sclerosis also affects how we work, how much we work, and where we work from.
Think about:
- How did you feel about your work this year?
- Did you receive support, flexibility, understanding... or quite the opposite?
- Did you take care of your schedule, your breaks, your limits, at least a little more than other years?
- Did any new possibilities open up that you hadn't considered?
Here you can be very honest: “This job exhausts me, but right now I need it because…”. “I’m looking for options that better suit my energy…” You don’t need to have all the answers. Just start to see clearly what you need.
So far, you have an initial map of your year: health, body, mind, relationships, projects, home, work. With that, you can take another step. Now what do I do with all this?
This exercise is not just a recap of what happened. It is also a way to ask yourself:
- What do I want to take better care of in 2026?
- What do I not want to repeat if it is in my power?
- What small decisions can I make to make my life, with multiple sclerosis included, a little more like the life I want?
I don’t expect everyone’s list of important moments to be the same, nor that they will impact us all in the same way, nor that we will all draw the same conclusions. Each person will make this assessment based on their own history, diagnosis, treatments, fears, and dreams. What I do hope is that, as you look back on your year, you will recognize something that we often forget:
You have made it this far. With all that that has meant. If, at the end of this exercise, you want to go one step further, you can close with two very simple lists:
- What I want to take with me to 2026
- What I am willing to let go of (or at least, start to let go of)
They don’t have to be perfect lists. They can be single words, short phrases, ideas that you don’t yet know how they will work in practice. The important thing is that, for a moment, the noise of “what you should be doing” is pushed aside, and what you really need comes to the fore.
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