2023 Year in Review
Earlier in November, I co-hosted our final Lunch And… for 2023. We decided to focus on the year in review as we moved towards the final stretch. Today, let’s discuss how to get the most out of these 2 or so weeks in December that we have before the denouement to the holidays that inevitably sends us into a less productive work period.Why do a review of your year? It’s a great opportunity to look for things to celebrate (yippee!) and look for things that you may have wanted to turn out differently.
Both these things are rich with learning that we can take forward to the new year.
Let’s dig in to how you can approach this.
Sit down with your calendar
Review month by month and make a couple of lists. The first one outlines the monthly highlights. What went well? Write it down. The second list is for the things that didn’t exactly go as planned. What happened here? Were you so busy it fell off your plate? Did you give it a half-hearted attempt that didn’t exactly go as planned? Make a list of “even better if’s” and think of what this would have looked like if this had gone exactly how you wanted it to.
Review your overall goals for the year
How did you do? How did your goals evolve over the course of the year? Were you too ambitious? Not ambitious enough? Add to your lists from above, with some things that went well, and some even better if’s.
Review the lists you have made
What stands out? Try to find 3-5 things from each list that are the most important. This might involve grouping similar items together or writing a few longer takeaways. Once these lists are condensed, you are ready to find your lessons learned.
Lessons learned
What are the key takeaways that you need to move forward? Things you want to do so that you don’t make the same mistakes again next year. Key things to change. The biggest successes and WHY they were so great.
As I reflect on my year, and as I write this post, I’m back in my morning writing group. It had seemed like this year was “too busy” to fit it into my schedule, and so I stopped going in the early summer. But as the months went on, I found myself struggling to find the time I needed to write. My social media posting became more sporadic. I wasn’t getting to my desk first thing (the group meets at 9am sharp).
So, I reached out, got myself registered again and here we are. Writing underway and I’m getting those creative jobs done when I’m at my best for them. Plus, I get the bonus of seeing a group of lovely, supportive faces on my screen to start my day. All working to get their words on the page. Helping each other when we get stuck and yes, celebrating those successes that we all need to acknowledge.