It’s December and 2018 is coming to a close.
How does December make you feel? I love this time of the year, as it is always a time of enforced rest for most people, and I use this time to re-treat, to hibernate, and to give my body, mind and spirit breathing space. Whether you run your own business or not, I feel that most of us, these days, are moving at full speed; and whilst it great and needed if you are moving towards a goal, we can also do so with less speed and also take time out every so often to re-charge.
Most of us tend to be naturally forward facing. We are future-oriented, always moving on to the next task, event, or responsibility. Seldom do we take enough time to think about why we succeeded at something, never mind celebrate. We also struggle to evaluate our mistakes and failures because it is hard. It forces us to take a look at ourselves and face things that we might not like. We need to realise that both sides are equal parts challenging, frustrating, motivating and rewarding but are vital to goal setting.
So, as the year draws to a close,
- Look back through the calendar for the year
- Look back through your social media accounts
- Scroll through your emails for any projects that you have been working on
- List any major life events that happened over the year, any notable challenges or mistakes, and any notable successes
- Evaluate why each of these was relevant to you and what, if anything, you learned from them
Without looking back and reflecting on what has been, it is easy to make the same mistakes. Reflection is an important part of self-awareness, which is at the heart of self-improvement.
Take some time to reflect on the last year so you can set goals for the new year ahead.
