In my past three jobs, I’ve had the benefit of working for employers that closed their offices over the holidays. The two weeks off was a huge decompression period. I used the time to purge everything – closets, kitchen, garage, paperwork, inboxes, and my head.
I also have used the time as an opportunity to reflect on my previous year. The days and weeks go by so fast; it’s easy to forget both what you accomplished and what you wish you had. I also spend some time thinking about what I’d like to achieve in the year to come.
I’ve never had much luck with resolutions, but writing down my goals and checking in with them regularly has helped me reach many of them.
Your Year in Review Resources
If you’re interested in trying out the reflection and planning approach, as opposed to creating short-lived resolutions, here are a few resources that could help.
- Boho Berry has been running a monthlong December challenge focused on the year in review.
- Lisa Jacobs just started her annual 7 days of reflection/review.
- YearCompass looks really interesting. I haven’t tried it, but I may this year.
Create Your Own Yearly Review
You can, of course, create your own reflecting and planning questions. One of the things I do is literally review my year. I grab my planner and list out my highlights from each month – trips taken, significant accomplishments or goals achieved, fun events with family or friends.
I also ask myself these questions:
- What did I accomplish last year?
- What do I wish I had accomplished last year?
- What do I want to focus on next year?
Your yearly review and goal setting can be as simple or as complex as you’d like. If you’ve never done it before, focusing on a few goals is more achievable, but it’s also a great time to dream big.
Yvonne Dutchover 