Every December, when the world starts to slow down and the snow piles up outside my window here in Edmonton, Alberta I step back and take stock of my life. Not just the goals, not just the business milestones, but the real stuff. The meaningful moments, the lessons, the curveballs, the wins, the misses, and the ways the year changed me.
It’s become a ritual for me.
The last couple of weeks of every year, my boys come home, the house fills with laughter again, and I get that rare kind of gratitude that hits you right in the chest. We reconnect, swap stories about where life has taken us, and somewhere between the conversations, the quiet moments, and the long reflections, I ask myself the same honest questions…
How did this year really go?
What did I do well?
What knocked me off balance?
What did I learn?
And am I still living life on purpose?
Because that’s what I’m after. A life lived intentionally and not on autopilot, not reacting to everything life throws at me, but navigating it with direction, courage, creativity, and heart.
Over the years, one tool has helped me do this better than anything else: YearCompass - a free reflection and planning guide that helps you look back with honesty and look forward with clarity. I’ve used it for years, and it’s been one of the anchors that’s kept me grounded and moving forward with purpose.
Today, I want to share part of my story, what reflection has meant in my life, how the past years have shaped me (wins, failures, and all), and why I believe taking the time to pause and reset can change your life too. It has really become a way of making sure I spend my time the way I want to, the way I enjoy.
And if even one person reads this, takes a breath, and says, “Yeah… I’m ready to live with more direction,” then this was worth writing.
If you’d asked me years ago what my life would look like now, I probably wouldn’t have said, “Oh yeah - I’ll start another business after becoming an empty nester.” But here we are. Life has a funny sense of humor.
This past year wasn’t perfect - not by a long shot.
I had plans that didn’t unfold the way I imagined. Some projects came together beautifully… others fizzled out faster than the weather changing in Alberta. I took risks that paid off - and a couple that stung more than I’d like to admit. I made decisions from the gut, and a few times I learned the hard way that the gut can be stubborn.
But here’s the truth
I lived this year. Fully. Imperfectly. Purposefully. I truly enjoyed my time.
There were moments of grit and moments of joy. There were setbacks that forced me to slow down and reflect - and there were breakthroughs that reminded me why I keep building, keep learning, and keep stepping forward.
YearCompass has a section called “Six Sentences About My Past Year” - and every time I fill it out, I’m hit with a mix of humility, humor, and gratitude. Because life is rarely clean, rarely linear, and almost never predictable.
And that’s okay.
Some of my biggest reflections this year looked like this:
I stepped into new territory and built something from scratch again. Not because I had to, but because I still love the thrill of creating.
I learned (again) that growth isn’t always loud. S ometimes it’s subtle, internal, quiet, and deeply personal.
I realized how important it is to stay connected to family, to purpose, to community, and to my own compass.
And yeah, some things didn’t work. Some ideas looked great on paper and fell flat in reality. But those aren’t failures in my book; they’re feedback, they’re lessons, they’re course corrections.
That’s living with direction and not perfection. As an avid martial artist we have always focused on improvement and becoming better. There is no such thing as perfection.
Reflection isn’t about beating myself up or reliving the year like a highlight reel.
It’s about understanding who I have become along the way.
YearCompass breaks your life into meaningful areas like: health, relationships, work, creativity, personal growth, community. It then invites you to reflect, honestly and compassionately, on what truly mattered.
Looking back at those categories each year, I ask myself:
Did I take care of my body and mind?
Did I show up for the people who matter?
Did I honour my creativity and curiosity?
Did I contribute to something bigger than myself?
Did I make choices aligned with who I want to be?
Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes the answer is “not enough.” But either way, it gives me direction.
Because we can’t steer a ship we refuse to look at.
Life doesn’t always follow the neat path we sketch in January.
Some years bring unexpected challenges, health issues, business pivots, emotional storms, or moments where you suddenly realize… I’m not where I thought I’d be.
And in those moments, we have two choices:
1. We can drift.
Or
2. We can adjust our course.
This past year, I adjusted. More than once.
There were days where I felt stretched thin. Days where doubt crept in. Days where I wondered whether starting something new at this stage of life made me ambitious, stubborn, or just a little crazy - and honestly, maybe it’s a mix of all three.
But that’s what keeps life meaningful.
Purpose isn’t comfortable. It’s courageous.
And every time I sat with that YearCompass booklet and asked myself the hard questions, I was reminded of something powerful:
I’m still becoming.
I’m still growing.
I’m still writing this story on my terms.
After reflecting on the past year, the second half of YearCompass shifts you gently toward the future. Not with pressure, not with hustle culture slogans, but with clarity, alignment, and quiet confidence.
It asks:
What will your next year be about?
What will you let go of?
What will you dare to try?
Who will stand beside you?
What will you say yes to?
These aren’t just questions - they’re anchors.
For me, the year ahead is about:
Purposeful growth - building Raven Drone Services with heart, intention, and creativity.
Connection - spending more meaningful time with family, friends, and community.
Presence - enjoying the journey, not just the outcomes.
Service - using my experiences to help others live with more clarity and courage.
I want this year to be about alignment and making choices that reflect who I am and where I’m going, not just what the world expects.
And I want the people reading this, maybe you, to feel invited to do the same.
I’m not sharing YearCompass because I get anything from it.
I’m sharing it because it’s helped me year after year to slow down, reflect honestly, and design my life intentionally, instead of drifting through it.
If you’ve ever felt:
Stuck
Overwhelmed
Unsure what’s next
Or ready to take back control of your direction
then this simple, free guide may be exactly what you need.
Take a quiet evening.
Grab a coffee (or something stronger).
Sit down with the booklet.
Be honest.
Be kind to yourself.
And give your future the respect it deserves.
You can download the free YearCompass guide here:
https://yearcompass.com/
I’ll also be sharing a short video, filmed by drone, inviting others to join this reflection journey. Because life isn’t just about business, achievements, or noise. It’s about living deliberately, with intention, with purpose and sometimes, with a little humor along the way.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:
Life will never fully go according to plan, but direction is still everything.
Purpose isn’t found by accident. It’s created through reflection, courage, awareness, and action.
We get one life.
One story.
One chance to write it the way we want.
And whether you’re starting a new business, rebuilding, healing, rediscovering yourself, or simply choosing to live more intentionally, you deserve a life guided by clarity, hope, and meaning.
So here’s my invitation:
Reflect on your past year.
Own the lessons.
Celebrate the wins.
Let go of the weight.
And walk into your next chapter on purpose.
I’ll be right there with you.
Darrel