Pete's Annual End of Year Reflection

For several years now part of my ‘winding up the year’ routine has been a dedicated pause for reflection and self-planning for the year ahead. I got the original idea from a Jeff Whalan leadership course and modified it to the questions/issues that work for me.

I started this to underline the end of a working year and help start the new year afresh – in effect making a clear distinction (to help counter the ‘year flying by’ or ‘becoming a blur’). I’ve found it incredibly useful for my own self-awareness and starting a new year with greater clarity from the very start. I now do this exercise for both my work and my personal/home life.

It takes the form of a short set of questions (5 looking back, 5 forward) and only takes 30 minutes or so (keep it simple!). While you certainly don’t have to, I like to document the answers to ‘keep myself honest’ and for future reflection.

Feel free to adopt/modify or add to the list for yourself – I’ve just kept it to the 5 questions that work best for me.

For the year past:

• What are you most proud of achieving in the last year?

• What was your best decision?

• What activity gave you the greatest joy?

• What was the best lesson you learned?

• What work is unfinished that will carry over?

For the year ahead:

• What are your top 3 goals for the year ahead?

• What does success look like?

• Who else will be key to this success?

• What will you do for your own professional development?

• What are you most excited about in the year ahead?

I also go through the same questions covering me @HOME (my personal life, including family, relationships, health, finances, etc.). I find it works for my ‘1122’ HBDI preferences! (analytical, logical, fact based, organised, planned, detailed) ☺

I hope this strikes a chord for you as it did me – give it a try this December!

Pete.