When I became an entrepreneur I learned a new way to do my annual review that made me so much happier. Here’s the gist. Instead of focusing on goals you set in January that you didn’t meet (and really shouldn’t be accountable for because you had no idea how the year would go), you review what you DID do that energized you. I LOVE this approach. You get to review your accomplishments and take a stroll down memory lane. This year, because it’s been especially tough, I’m adding two things.
First, make sure to give yourself credit for outside-of-work things: Home schooling, maintaining morale even when you couldn’t see friends, keeping some balance even when you were scared. These things all take enormous mental and emotional energy, and that counts.
Here’s the exercise:
- Going through your calendar, what are 1 or 2 accomplishments from each month? These can be professional or personal.
- Reviewing that list, which accomplishments energized you? Which did not?
- Focusing on the ones that energized you, ask yourself the following:
- Why is the accomplishment important?
- What would further progress look like?
- What, if any, are the immediate next steps?
- Looking back on 2020 from 2025 with clarity, what are some possible gifts? See if you can list five.
What if you could “follow the energy.” You can’t always do exactly what you want when your boss or company has goals. But if you can do things in a way that aligns with what energizes you, you can be so much more effective. And…there’s no better place to look than the year that just passed.
Have a great week!
Claire