As we come to the end of the year in the midst of a holiday season it’s a “natural” place to take pause and consider what we have, what we’ve done and what we hope to achieve in the coming new year.
Take a few moments in the coming days to pause for just a bit. Find a quiet place to sit down with a pad of paper and pen and make some notes of your most memorable moments of the last twelve months. Sometimes it helps to start in January and work your way through to the end of the year. It doesn’t have to be a highly detailed list, just bullet-points will do. Perhaps there was the birth of a new family member, an anniversary, a promotion, a special dinner you planned with friends, a new business or great new account, a child’s graduation, a project you completed, a vacation, etc.
Once you have your year’s “greatest hits” list take just a quick moment to let the last year “sink in”. We get so caught up in getting things done that we don’t always take a moment to appreciate what we have accomplished. Take a moment to find some satisfaction in what’s happened and how you made an impact. Celebrate.
Now take another look at your list. What you have on your list can say a great deal about you. Think of your list as the start of your “report” on the last year.
Here are some things to consider about your list:
Accomplishment “Thinking”
Was it easy for you to even start the list? Do you regularly note when you experienced an “event” or “moment”? If not, then start making it a regular practice. Write a quick note in your planner or on the calendar the day it happens. Make it easy to take account of your “moments”.
Balanced
Are there just as many personal and family moments as there are work and business moments? Don’t forget to “live” your life. Sometimes we have to make plans and “force” ourselves to do things out of our normal routine. It’s great to have your list of professional and business goals, but don’t forget about your list of personal and family goals!
Looking Ahead
How can you make next year even better? What might you have accomplished in the last year if only you’d planned a bit better? What should be your Top 5 professional and personal goals for the coming year? What’s something you’ve REALLY wanted to accomplish in your life? Can you at least start down that path in the coming months?
It is the most wonderful time of the year because it’s the close of one period in our lives, but also the opening of a brand new opportunity.
You do have accomplishments from the last year. You have proven that you can get things done. But only you can turn your passions and dreams into reality, and you do that by setting and reaching even small goals. Decide what you want, what you’re going to do to get it, write it down and start doing it. Don’t take it lightly, live your life “on purpose.”
Happy Holidays!