End-of-year review: Ten questions you must answer
Answer the ten questions I’m sharing below for a successful end-of-year review. Questions that will help you to reflect on the past twelve months and provide you with the opportunity to celebrate your achievements while identifying valuable lessons.
Twelve months is not long, yet we too easily forget the tiny wins and don’t notice the small shifts. You may not even realise how far you’ve come until you stop to look back. Focused on moving forward and rushing ahead, you may have missed the fantastic things you’ve accomplished. Not noticed how the business has developed and how you have grown.
Insights for forward planning.
While reflection and review are terrific, you can’t change the past, but you can influence your future.
So, while the questions below are about reflection, answering them may offer you the secret sauce, glitter and sprinkles for your future success. Help you see the all-important learnings, the golden nuggets as I call them, which guide your future decision-making.
Tips for a successful review.
Before you rush off, grab a pen and paper or open a new document on your lap or desktop. Give yourself a moment or two, maybe go for a walk or do a few star jumps – clear the decks and turn off distractions.
Give priority to these must-ask questions and place value on the exercise. Make it something you ‘get’ to do and not ‘have’ to do. And please don’t use it to beat yourself up for anything not achieved; instead, celebrate the wins and find the learnings.
The ten must-ask questions:
- What am I most proud of achieving?
- Where and how did I spend my time in the business?
- What has surprised me the most?
- What took longer than planned?
- What didn’t go to plan or pan out as I’d planned?
- What am I still doing that doesn’t fill me with joy?
- How have I changed this year?
- What has changed in and for the business?
- What have I learnt about myself?
- What filled you with the most joy?
Once answered, use the information provided to shape your future plans. To help you decide where to focus your attention.
Most importantly, what you will say goodbye to and let go of. Thereby creating the space you need to receive more clients, money, time – and freedom. Time and space for the exciting projects you have planned, the new offers, services or products you want to launch, and the clients you want to work with.
Don’t just take note of the learnings.
These might be personal learnings, a better understanding of how you work best and what distracts you. Help you identify areas for personal development so you can shine brightly and confidently – further, develop your fabulous self.
The business learnings might be practical. Recognising where resource is needed, and that to move forward again, you need to streamline, automate, or both. Your next level may require a rebrand, a new website – saying goodbye to old offers – and letting go of clients you’re no longer aligned with.
Use the golden nuggets to narrow your focus and succeed. Feed them into your future planning and trust yourself to act upon any decisions made.
Whether the next twelve months are a calendar or financial year, use the wisdom from the past to shape your future, and if you need help analysing your answers, book a Clarity Coaching Call