🌟[TT] look back look forward 🧠

A few unusual things have happened in the last few weeks.

Firstly, I had my 25th Medical School reunion! It’s shocking, isn’t it, how time flies!

At the blink of an eye, it’s been over 25 years since I started working as a medical doctor.

Then, there was a big retirement celebration (a “festschrift” – scientific meeting in celebration) of a giant in their subspecialty. With that, I had the opportunity to catch up with many past giants in their own way, all also now retired.

And the passing of another retired colleague.

Such moments give a poignant reminder of how fleeting time can be.

How time passes and things do move on.

And that we can impact on others (in a positive or negative way, dealer’s choice😊).

As we approach year-end, I hope the following three questions, as they relate to you and your brain health habits, will be helpful!

📍3 Questions for Your Year-End Reflection

🌟1️⃣ What Did You Learn This Year to Take Forward?

Think about what worked for you this year.

Maybe you discovered that morning sunlight transforms your energy levels.

Perhaps you learnt that saying “let me check my diary” gives you breathing space before overcommitting.

Or you finally understood that perfect is the enemy of good when it comes to health habits.

These discoveries are gold. They’re your personal data about what helps you thrive.

Try this: Write down three things you learnt about yourself this year that you want to remember. Be as specific as possible, this will help you reflect in a deeper way

🌟2️⃣ What Did You Learn to Leave Behind?

Not all lessons need to travel with us.

Perhaps you learnt that late-night scrolling guarantees poor sleep.

That certain relationships consistently drain your energy.

Or that beating yourself up about missed workouts just makes you skip more of them.

Knowing what doesn’t serve you is just as valuable as knowing what does.

Try this: Name one thing you tried this year that didn’t work. Thank it for the clarity, then choose to leave it in 2025.

🌟3️⃣ How Will You Create Time for Conscious Choices?

Without dedicated thinking time, we run on autopilot, repeating patterns whether they serve us or not.

So, setting aside time to reflect can be helpful. It doesn’t need to be complex.

Maybe it’s five minutes with your Sunday morning coffee, a monthly calendar reminder to check in with yourself, or a seasonal review as the quarters change.

The key is scheduling it before life gets busy again.

Try this: Schedule your reflection session ahead of 2026 now. Put it in your calendar as an appointment with yourself.

📍Why Reflection Matters for Your Brain

Year-end reflection isn’t just feel-good practice; it actively benefits your brain:

Reflecting on experiences strengthens memory consolidation and helps your hippocampus encode lessons more deeply. This process, called “memory reconsolidation”. It rewires your brain with updated understanding.

Conscious decision-making about what to keep or release engages your prefrontal cortex, strengthening executive function and improving future decision-making capacity.

Taking stock of positive experiences and growth activates reward pathways and can support new brain pathways or patterns, as we enter the new year.

📍Try This Week

Set aside 20 minutes with a cuppa. Answer the three questions above. No judgment, just honest observation.

📍Question for you today

Looking back at 2025, what’s one thing you’re genuinely proud of that you might not have acknowledged yet?

Wishing you thoughtful reflection and intentional choices,

Dr Sui Wong

PS – Like last year, I’ll switch to “holiday mode” for the next 2 weeks 🤣.

On 25/12 and 1/1, instead of the usual [TT], I have scheduled an email with some gifts from me to you as my way of saying THANK YOU! 🎉 Your messages and support encourage me to continue this mission of sharing content that empowers and inspires people to make lasting changes for their brain health and wellbeing ❤️ Let’s change the narrative about brain health!

PPS – Buying gifts for loved ones for the year-end festivities? How about one of my health and wellbeing books 🙂 All in the style of these Thursday Tips: encouraging, gentle, kind, whilst inspiring ACTION! 😀

References:

Alberini (2013) – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24028957/

Simons et al. (2017) – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28462815/

Books are available where all good books are sold, in print, eBook and audiobook formats. Click titles to learn more:
Mindfulness for Brain Health
Magnesium: Restore & Revitalize Your Brain & Body
Break Free From Migraines Naturally
Sleep Better to Thrive
Quit Ultra-Processed Foods Now
Sweet Spot for Brain Health

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Summary

Looking back at your year helps your brain store the lessons that matter and let go of what doesn’t. These three questions support memory, decision-making, and emotional clarity as you move into 2026. Even a short reflection session can help you make choices that match your needs, values, and energy.

FAQ

Q: Why is reflection helpful for the brain?
Reflection supports memory reconsolidation and helps your prefrontal cortex make clearer decisions moving forward.

Q: How often should I set aside reflection time?
Even a short check-in once a month or once per season can help you stay aligned with what works for you.

Q: What if I don’t know what to write?
Start with the three questions from this TT. Keep your answers short. Clarity comes from noticing simple patterns, not writing long pages.

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Dr Sui Wong

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