Questions to ask yourself
at the end of the year
It’s nearly the end of 2008. What does 2009 hold for us amid the doom and gloom that the media feeds us on a daily basis? Individually we may not feel able to make impact on the economy and the global issues that face us, but we can influence our own future.
As the end of the year approaches, it’s useful to spend a bit of time reflecting on the past year and thinking about what we want from the next one. Rather than setting New Year’s resolutions, try this approach to reviewing this year, learning and planning for 2009. An hour spent doing this will be much more useful to you than resolutions.
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What did I learn? I recently took part in a project where for one month, participants were encouraged to notice and record in some way a new thing that we learned every day.I was amazed at the range of different things I learned over that month, that I would not have otherwise noticed.
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What was my greatest accomplishment? It is important to acknowledge our achievements and provides a healthy way to raise levels of self confidence and contentment. It’s also a great way to track our accomplishments.
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What’s the number one thing to accomplish in 2009? In these days of credit crunch and uncertainty, it’s very helpful to have something positive to focus on. Maybe it’s building up a nest egg to give you more choices in your life, a career challenge or more time with your family. Whatever it is, it will give you something to focus on and work towards – that’s within your control.
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What have I struggled with in 2008 which might also affect 2009? Another learning point – acknowledging things we’ve struggled with helps equip us to deal more effectively with them in the future.
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What was this year’s biggest time waster? Whatever it is, identify ways of reducing it, including setting up strategies to spend your time productively in 2009.
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What are my top 3 goals for the next 3 years? If you know what you want, you’ll find ways to achieve it. Set yourself some realistic goals and notice how much faster you achieve them than you thought you would.
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How have my actions in 2008 taken me closer to achieving those goals? Review what you’ve achieved in 2008 and how much closer you are now compared to this time last year. It will provide momentum to work towards them even more effectively next year.
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What am I looking forward to in 2009? The answer can provide you with a source of motivation. If you can’t think of anything, set aside some time to do so.
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What am I most grateful for? This helps to keep things in perspective and is something we should not lose sight of.
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If I knew I only had one week to live, who would I spend my time with? This is a helpful reminder of who matters to us most. Life is short ... spend time with those you care about.
Have a very Merry Christmas
To be sure of achieving your goals in 2009, ask yourself these questions on a weekly basis – just substitute this week and next week for this year and next year.
Give yourself the gift of self reflection and spend some time answering these questions – you’ll be glad you did.
If you work in HR, look out for a new service I’m launching in the New Year. More details soon.
If you’d like support to achieve your goals in 2009 visit our website , send me an email or call me on +44 (0) 1763 245 323 for an initial, no obligation discussion.
If there’s a particular topic you’d like to see covered in future newsletters, please let me know .
Best wishes for a good Christmas and a happy and successful 2009.
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