My Year in Review

As your year (calendar / financial / academic etc.) draws to a close, it is an ideal time to review and celebrate.  

Reflecting on your progress is a key to supporting you to continue to maintain motivation and take consistent action towards your goals.

In the absence of deliberate acknowledgement and celebration, one year can meld into the next, without any psychological reward for progress made, Indeed, if you are like most of us, if left to default position, your tendency is to focus almost exclusively on what DIDN'T go well and what you haven't done yet.  This focus drastically reduces your ability to maintain momentum and achieve your goals.  

Conversely, deliberately choosing time out to acknowledge yourself for achieving each milestone en route towards your goals is proven to help you

  • to clarify your thoughts and feelings 
  • know yourself better
  • learn from your experiences
  • reduce stress
  • solve problems more effectively
  • resolve disagreements with others 
  • consolidate beneficial actions and behaviours and
  • strengthen your motivation to continue to take the steps required to move towards your goa
  • track patterns, trends, improvement and growth over time 
  • when current circumstances appear insurmountable, you will be able to look back on previous dilemmas that you have since resolved

 

So do yourself, your career and your business a favour.  Set yourself up for SUCCESS in the coming year by taking ONE HOUR to complete this form.  

TIPS:

  • Read through the questions a day or two in advance.  Allow them to permeate your consciousness.  
  • Allocate one hour of uninterrupted time to answer all the questions completely (no blanks).
  • Before you begin answering, take two minutes to reduce your 'stress response' and increase your 'thrive response' by using diaphragmatic breathing.
    • Place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest
    • Breathe in deeply so that your stomach expands and the lower hand on your stomach is pushed out.  The hand on your chest does not move at all.
    • Hold your breath for the count of 5. 
    • As you breathe out, allow your stomach to contract and your lower hand follows your stomach in.  The hand on your chest does not move.
    • Repeat this sequence six times, breathing in for the count of 5, hold for the count of 5 and breathe out for the count of 5. 
  • Then go to the questions and answer them intuitively, with the responses that YOU are most PROUD of, irrespective of how small or unimportant they might seem to others.
    • Commit to identifying the full FIVE items for EACH question (no matter how small or seemingly insignificant) and trust your gut response.
    • Discipline yourself to spend no more than ONE MINUTE per item on the list for the first 8 questions.  This discipline will ensure you avoid "analysis paralysis" and you get a first draft done.  (You can always review it later if you wish).  
    • Dedicate 20 mins to complete the reflective questions at the end.  
    • Keep focused.  

And just do it! 

 

 



Record today's date

List your top FIVE achievements (personal, professional and/or business) in the past 12 months

Name FIVE challenges (personal, professional and/or business) you overcame in the past 12 months)

What are your top FIVE professional, career and/or business learnings in the past 12 months?

What are the top FIVE insights you learned about yourself in the past 12 months? 

What are FIVE new or existing relationships you developed in the past 12 months?

What did you create or bring into the world this year?  List FIVE.  

(Think broadly.   This could be anything at all that has your unique stamp on it).

Identify FIVE specific ways in which you made a positive difference and helped others / your family / your colleagues / your community / the world?

Name your FIVE most enjoyable moments/activities/projects in the past 12 months (personally, professionally and/or in business? 

If you were to write a newspaper headline that summarised the past year for you and your career/business, what would it say?

Review your responses.  How do you feel as you look over your lists?

What themes and patterns do you notice? 

If there was ONE thing that stood out, what are you most proud of in the past year? 

What are the top FIVE insights you are learning about yourself as you complete this annual review?

What reward or treat would remind you that you worked hard, learned and grew as a person in the past year?  

TIP: In addition to an experience (e.g. taking a holiday / retreat etc), also choose something symbolic that you will see often that reminds you to recognise your achievements this year and acknowledge and build on the foundation you have created for the coming year. 

What have you learned from your experiences in the past year to inform your plans for making the next 12 months your best year yet?