Setting My Compass
Year-end reviews, whether you love or hate them, are a handy checkpoint to encourage us to do more of what’s working and to quit what’s ineffective or harmful. Self-honesty is deeply cathartic: expression gives way to validation and response. The tone of language, choice of words and clarity of thoughts are just as instructive as the points conveyed.
Growth is inevitable over the course of the year: time to think tells us whether that growth is positive or negative, what influenced us towards either direction and the ultimate bellwether question: are we happy?
For me happiness is the catch-all state of being purposeful, positive, joyful, present and self-directed in spite of all things negative.
This December, I will spend time mulling over the following questions in no particular order or ranking of significance.
Action versus motion: have I been effectively acting on my plans or going through the motions? Action serves the mission. Motion routinely fills time.
Zoom-in, zoom out: have I spent the right amount of time working on my goals relative to the time needed to sharpen the strategy, vision and positioning of what I am trying to achieve?
Catalyst: what happened in my internal or external environment that was most influential to how I conducted myself this year? What do I think of how I responded?
Moving the dial: what’s one change I can make immediately (i.e. today or this week) that would positively impact my life? What stopped me from doing this earlier?
Perspective: when I take stock of all my resources, what do they empower me to accomplish? How have I developed my 4Cs (connections, capital, competence and confidence) over the past year?
Thought quality: how prevalent is negative thinking in my life? What are my triggers (e.g. situations, lifestyle habits, feedback from others) and how will I manage my responses and dismissal of these thoughts better?
Selling short: what opportunities did I miss to advocate for myself, and what did that cause me to miss out on? What stopped me? As I overcome those limiting beliefs, what steps can I take to make sure I don’t get in my own way again?
Change management: in my work, relationships and projects, how well have I coped with:
the process of change within me and how that has been received by others?
the process of change in others and how supportive I have been?
changing external conditions and how adaptive I have been?
Quitting: what have I walked away from this year and how do I feel about it with the benefit of time to review those decisions? How has my relationship with quitting improved e.g. what sort of pre-conditions do I attach and how easily do I let go of “what could have been”? How does quitting affect my self-perception, if at all?
Gratitude: who and what am I most grateful for this year? In what specific ways have they positively impacted me? How will I share these sentiments and express my gratitude to the people concerned? Putting whatever I accomplish in the context of the support received is important grounding for me.
Preparation: what am I making room for in the new year and what must I change in me and around me to capitalise on this opportunity? In what areas must I accelerate my learning and how will I define success privately and externally?
Confronting avoidance: what are the areas of my life, personality and external responsibilities that I have been delaying resolving but am now ready to face? What support do I need to maximise the likelihood of this being a worthwhile experience?
I do this, not to find fault or ruminate over the past, but to leverage the power of cause/intent and effect to my advantage. These are intense “real talk” topics to dissect alone and with others who know us well.
What’s on your list as you take stock of the year gone by, and anticipate the year ahead?
