As we race towards the end of another calendar year and begin to plan for the start of a new one, it’s important to pause and take stock of what’s happened in the last. Progress is integral to our successes and survival but sometimes that inertia deprives us of both learning opportunities and savoring life’s best moments. Before this year ends and the new one begins, here are some suggestions for ensuring we grab onto both.
Review and reflect. Many of us look at our jammed-packed calendars with resentment, all those little increments of time stolen. Often true! But they also provide us with a record of what we did and did not do with our time. Find a few minutes before the end of the year to look through 2021’s appointments to remind yourself of what happened. Each week, look for:
- Accomplishments! Very important. Do not rob yourself of the pats on the back you deserve.
- Areas of focus. What took up the bulk of your time? Which paid the best dividends and which investments of time were unwarranted?
- Accomplices. With whom did you spend the most time? Were they the right people for the situation—both professionally and personally?
It’s important to not be too hard on ourselves as we go through the exercise. What’s done is done and we were—at each moment—no doubt doing our best. Review, reflect, and move on.
MAP(s) it out. Guess what: Chances are we are going to be in this same situation again in 12 months so let’s plan ahead by recording what we do as we do it. It is doable! Pick a time each week, every Friday morning, for example, to write down just one or two words for each:
- Major area(s) of focus
- Accomplishments, large and small
- People with whom you spent the most time, and
- Setbacks, large and small.
For example:
- Major area(s) of focus: budget and new partnership opportunity
- Accomplishment: the annual report completed
- People with whom I spent the most time: HR director (work)/kids (persona)
- Setback, large and small: top candidate declined our offer, missed a workout
Keeping it simple is key! Putting pressure on ourselves to write insightful and thorough logs of everything we do is the surest way to ensure we never do it. Who needs that kind of anxiety?
Here’s to a Happy 2022—and 2023!
