The end of the year signifies a time for reflection.
Research has shown that taking time to reflect has significant performance advantages. For years, I have kept a weekly “win jar” where I have kept a visual account of my “weekly wins”. I have further refined this ritual to include an informal journal where I answer 3 simple questions:
- What is working/has worked well?
- What needs improvement?
- What do I want/need to learn?
End of Year Reflection Exercise
1. What is working/has worked well?
These are habits or tasks that have obviously resulted in a win, renewed energy, or something positive in either my business or personal life.
2. What needs improvement?
What could I have done better? What needs to change? Or what needs to be dropped/taken off my to-do list?
3. What do I need to learn?
As a life-long learner, there is usually something on my list I would like to learn. What new skills do I need to learn to refine or take a deeper dive to bring even more value to my clients and others whom I serve?
This past year had its hurdles, and there was a period of time this past fall when life became challenging. There were some actions that I could have taken that could have mitigated the situation I found myself in. A colleague reminded me that “the windshield is larger than the rear-view mirror”. That saying has stuck with me ever since. We must not forget that our future is bigger if we learn from our past.
New on my bookshelf from 2021
Here are my favorite reads from this past year:
Presenting Virtually: Communicate and Connect With Online Audiences by Patti Sanchez.
Whether we like them or not, virtual presentations are here to stay, and this book is a great resource for improving skills in this area.
The Referrable Speaker by Michael Port and Andrew Davis
This book provides a roadmap book for those who are looking to grow their speaking career. To summarize: “…your speaking career will only be improved by crafting an experience for each and every referral that’s high-touch, personal, and responsive.” I highly recommend this read.
Think Again by Adam Grant
What I like about this book was Grant’s approach to becoming more persuasive by listening and asking open-ended questions. I am frequently asked by clients how they can become more persuasive, and this book offers an interesting approach to engaging with others and opening their minds to possibilities.
The Net and The Butterfly: The Art and Practice of Breakthrough Thinking by Olivia Fox Cabane and Judah Pollack
Although this book was published in 2017, it was recently introduced to me by a colleague this year. Based on recent discoveries in neuroscience, this book was filled with practical techniques to jumpstart your creativity. There was so much great content in this book that I could readily apply with myself and with my clients.
I hope that my reflection exercise and book suggestions allow you to learn from this past year and embrace the possibilities of the future.