Questions · New Year
New Year questions for looking back and looking ahead
Questions to ask on New Year’s Eve, before the countdown and after the noise dies down. About the year that’s ending, the habits worth keeping and what you’re quietly hoping for next.
- 27 questions
- EN + TL on every card
- Free in the app
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
Imagine your future self laughing at one thing you're doing now. What is it?
Imagine yung future self mo natatawa sa isang ginagawa mo ngayon. Ano yun?
Future you may have a softer sense of humor about today. Some things feel bigger before time makes them funny.
Baka mas soft na tumawa ang future self mo sa today. May bagay na malaki ngayon, pero funny later.
The questions
27 questions for the New Year
Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.
Before the countdown
6 questions
Light ones, while the round fruits are on the table and the torotot is ready.
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Which button would you rather have: pause a busy hour or replay a favorite hour?
Kung may time button, alin ang pipiliin mo: i-pause ang isang abalang oras o ulitin ang paborito mong oras?
Back of the card
Your button needs a label. What would you write on it?
Kailangan ng label ang button mo. Ano ang isusulat mo rito?
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You receive one free round-trip ticket. Where are you going first?
May libre kang round-trip ticket. Saan ka pupunta?
Back of the card
Choose one thing you would want to do before flying home.
Pumili ng isang gusto mong gawin bago bumiyahe pauwi.
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If you could remove one tiny daily inconvenience forever, what would you remove?
Kung kaya mong tanggalin forever ang isang tiny daily inconvenience, ano ang tatanggalin mo?
Back of the card
Tiny inconveniences can be louder than they deserve. Removing one forever would feel like a quiet luxury.
Minsan ang ingay ng tiny inconveniences. Kapag natanggal forever yung isa, quiet luxury na agad.
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Imagine your future self laughing at one thing you're doing now. What is it?
Imagine yung future self mo natatawa sa isang ginagawa mo ngayon. Ano yun?
Back of the card
Future you may have a softer sense of humor about today. Some things feel bigger before time makes them funny.
Baka mas soft na tumawa ang future self mo sa today. May bagay na malaki ngayon, pero funny later.
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Which small plan are you looking forward to?
Anong small plan ang nilu-look forward mo?
Back of the card
Looking forward to something simple can help a week feel kinder. Small plans are allowed to matter.
Nakakagaan ng week kapag may simpleng nilu-look forward. Puwedeng maging mahalaga kahit maliit na plan lang.
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Name one tiny habit that has been helping you lately.
Magsabi ng isang tiny habit na nakakatulong sa'yo lately.
Back of the card
Small habits can hold more weight than they look like. Notice the quiet things that help you keep going.
May bigat din ang maliit na habit. Pansinin yung tahimik na bagay na tumutulong sa'yo magpatuloy.
Looking back at the year
7 questions
What changed, what surprised you, what turned out to matter.
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Recall the last time you tried something new just because you were curious.
Ikuwento ang huling beses na sumubok ka ng bago dahil curious ka lang.
Back of the card
Would you try it again, or was once enough?
Susubukan mo ba ulit, o sapat na ang minsan?
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Recall a harmless mistake that became a good story later.
Anong pagkakamali ang nakakatawa nang balikan ngayon, na wala namang nasaktan?
Back of the card
What would the title of this story be?
Ano ang magiging pamagat ng kuwentong ito?
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When did you last change your mind after hearing a good reason?
Kailan ka huling nagbago ng isip dahil may narinig kang magandang reason?
Back of the card
Try an optional before-and-after: "I thought..., but now..."
Kung gusto mo: "Dati, akala ko..., pero ngayon..."
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What recent choice shows something that matters to you?
Anong pinili mo lately ang nagpapakita ng mahalaga sa'yo?
Back of the card
Finish if you like: "I chose it because I care about..."
Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Iyon ang pinili ko dahil mahalaga sa'kin ang..."
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Name something that matters to you more now than it used to.
Magsabi ng isang bagay na mas mahalaga na sa'yo ngayon kaysa dati.
Back of the card
What matters can change as you grow. That shift is not betrayal; it may be a clearer kind of honesty.
Puwedeng magbago ang mahalaga habang naggo-grow ka. Hindi agad betrayal yun; baka mas malinaw na honesty.
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Which part of your personality has been showing up more lately?
Anong part ng personality mo ang mas lumalabas lately?
Back of the card
The parts showing up may be asking to be noticed, used, or cared for. Curiosity can be a gentle start.
Yung parts na mas lumalabas, baka gusto lang mapansin, magamit, o maalagaan. Puwedeng curiosity muna ang start.
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If a friend said you have changed in a good way, what change would you hope they noticed?
Kung sabihin ng friend mo na nagbago ka in a good way, anong change ang sana napansin nila?
Back of the card
The change you hope someone notices may point to what you have been quietly practicing.
Yung change na sana mapansin nila baka yun yung tahimik mong pinapractice nitong season.
Habits to keep, drop and start
7 questions
Resolutions without the pressure: small, honest and doable.
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When did you realize a habit you already had was helping you?
Kailan mo na-realize na nakakatulong pala yung habit na meron ka na?
Back of the card
Helpful habits are not always dramatic. Sometimes you only notice them when life feels a little easier because they are there.
Hindi laging dramatic ang helpful habits. Minsan mo lang sila napapansin kapag mas gumagaan ang life dahil nandiyan sila.
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Pick one habit you want to adjust in a small, realistic way.
Pumili ng isang habit na gusto mong i-adjust sa maliit at realistic na way.
Back of the card
Change does not have to be dramatic. One small adjustment can make tomorrow a little kinder.
Hindi kailangang dramatic ang change. Puwedeng isang maliit na adjustment lang para mas kinder ang bukas.
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Name one small choice that keeps affecting your mood, like sleep, food, screen time, movement, or who you talk to.
Magbanggit ng isang small choice na paulit-ulit na nakakaapekto sa mood mo, like tulog, food, screen time, galaw, o kung sino ang kausap mo.
Back of the card
Small choices become loud when they repeat. Noticing one can give you a kinder place to start.
Lumalaki ang epekto ng maliit na choice kapag paulit-ulit. Kapag napansin mo ang isa, may mas gentle kang starting point.
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If you had one free hour every week, what hobby would you go back to?
Kung may isang free hour ka every week, anong hobby ang babalikan mo?
Back of the card
A hobby you miss can point to a part of you that still wants some space.
Yung hobby na nami-miss mo minsan tumuturo sa part ng sarili mo na gusto pa rin ng konting space.
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What might you need to say no to, pause, or limit so your week feels lighter?
Ano yung kailangan mong hihindian, i-pause, o limitahan para mas gumaan ang week mo?
Back of the card
A boundary is not always a wall. Sometimes it is a small line that helps you stay present and honest.
Hindi laging pader ang boundary. Minsan maliit na line lang siya para mas present at honest ka.
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Name one mistake you are ready to stop replaying so much.
Magsabi ng isang mistake na ready ka nang hindi paulit-ulit i-replay.
Back of the card
A mistake can teach without taking over the whole story. You can remember the lesson without replaying the hurt.
Puwedeng may tinuro ang mistake nang hindi siya ang buong story. Puwede mong tandaan ang lesson nang hindi inuulit ang sakit.
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Name something you are outgrowing, even if you still care about it.
Magsabi ng isang bagay na parang ino-outgrow mo na, kahit may care ka pa rin doon.
Back of the card
Outgrowing something does not always mean rejecting it. Sometimes it means honoring what was real while making room to change.
Hindi laging rejection ang pag-outgrow. Minsan pag-honor siya sa naging totoo, habang gumagawa ng space para magbago.
Hopes for the year ahead
7 questions
For after midnight, when it’s quieter and people mean what they say.
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Name one small hope that helps you keep going.
Magbanggit ng isang maliit na hope na tumutulong sa'yo magpatuloy.
Back of the card
A small hope can still carry real strength. It may be quiet, but it is not nothing.
May totoong lakas din ang maliit na hope. Tahimik man siya, hindi ibig sabihin wala siyang bigat.
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Name something you are nervous about that still feels worth trying.
Magsabi ng isang bagay na kinakabahan ka pero parang worth it pa ring subukan.
Back of the card
Nerves and courage often show up together. The fear does not automatically mean the step is wrong.
Madalas magkasama ang kaba at courage. Hindi porket may takot, mali na agad ang step.
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Finish this sentence: “In this next season, I hope I get to experience...”
Tapusin mo yung sentence: “Sa next season, sana ma-experience ko...”
Back of the card
This sentence can stay small or open wide. Either way, it gives your hope a place to begin.
Puwedeng maliit lang o biglang lumawak yung sentence. Either way, may starting point yung hope mo.
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What would you try if failure felt less embarrassing?
Ano ang susubukan mo kung hindi gaanong nakakahiya ang pumalya?
Back of the card
Embarrassment can make the room feel smaller than it is. The thing you would try may still be worth naming.
Kayang paliitin ng hiya ang mundo mo. Pero yung bagay na susubukan mo, baka worth pa ring pangalanan.
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Say one brave thing you can admit you want.
Sabihin ang isang brave na bagay na kaya mong aminin na gusto mo.
Back of the card
Wanting can feel risky when the answer is not guaranteed. Naming the desire is already a brave kind of honesty.
Risky minsan umamin ng gusto mo kapag walang guarantee. Pero courage na rin yung kaya mo siyang sabihin nang honest.
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Point to one direction you feel drawn toward, even if it is not fully clear yet.
Magbanggit ng isang direction na feeling mo tinutulak ka, kahit hindi pa fully clear.
Back of the card
Clarity sometimes arrives after movement. You can honor the direction without pretending you know the whole path.
Minsan dumarating ang clarity habang gumagalaw ka na. Puwede mong i-honor ang direction nang hindi nagpapanggap na alam mo ang buong path.
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Name one thing that would make next month feel a little lighter.
Magbanggit ng isang bagay na makakatulong para mas gumaan nang konti ang next month.
Back of the card
A lighter month does not have to mean a perfect one. Even one less weight can change how a season feels.
Hindi kailangang perfect ang mas magaan na month. Kahit isang bawas na bigat, iba na ang pakiramdam ng season.
How to use them
Before you ask
New Year’s Eve has a strange rhythm. There’s the loud part, with the Media Noche, the fireworks and the kids jumping at midnight. Then there’s the quiet part, when the smoke clears and people sit back down. These questions are mostly for the quiet part, but the first set will carry you through the waiting.
Good New Year questions don’t ask for a report card. Skip “what did you achieve this year” and ask what changed, what surprised you, which habit actually helped. A question about something small, like a habit or a mistake that became a good story, gets more honest answers than one about big goals.
Resolutions go better said out loud to people who will remember them, as long as nobody turns them into a scoreboard. Keep the hopes small and let people answer as briefly as they like. You can always pass a card, especially at one in the morning.
Good for
Tips
- Do the light set before midnight and the reflection sets after.
- Answer the first deep question yourself, so it’s clear honesty is welcome.
- Write down one hope from each person and read them again next New Year.
- Keep resolutions small. One habit to keep beats five to start.
- Choose Go deeper in the app only once the room is quiet enough for it.
- Want to go further? The Reflect deck is all questions like the later ones here.
Decks for this
New Year
Frequently asked questions
What are good questions to ask on New Year’s Eve?
Questions that look back gently and ahead honestly: what changed this year, which habit helped, what mistake became a good story, and one small hope for next year. Keep the light ones for before midnight.
What are good reflection questions for the new year?
Ask what matters to you more now than it used to, which habit you want to adjust in a small way, and what you would try if failing felt less embarrassing. Small, specific questions get more honest answers than big goals.
How do you talk about New Year’s resolutions without pressure?
Ask about habits to keep, drop or start, and let people choose one small thing. Treat the answers as hopes, not promises, and never keep score.
Are these New Year questions available in Tagalog?
Yes. Every question has an English and a Filipino/Tagalog version, so the whole family can play at the Media Noche table.
Bring a better question to the table.
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