My Year in Review

As a self-employed entrepreneur, I get to plan my own year end traditions.  This includes everything from a holiday party to performance review. The beauty of being self-employed is that I have a choice in what I want to pay attention to. This can also apply to retired people, those between engagements or those who don’t have to work.

Here are the elements of my year-end review.

Reflection       The typical year-end reflection is reactionary.  It’s often a list of what we didn’t do the prior year in addition to what we did too much of during the holidays.

I start around Thanksgiving and complete by the Winter Solstice –Dec. 21^st.  This is the time of year when many cultures have reaped the harvest and prepared the soil for the next season.  I do that metaphorically with this review.

A creative way to track the year is with a good set of questions.  What surprised me this year?  Where was I inspired?  What challenged me?  Where was I deeply touched?

Set aside some dedicated time where you will not be interrupted.  Gather your calendar, journal(s), artwork, client list, your prior years intentions – whatever you use to keep track of your life and spend some time in contemplation.  I pay particular attention to areas of growth, where I was stretched and what new things are showing up.  If something appears three times, pay attention!  This is a new direction calling to you.

Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.  

- Peter Drucker

Don’t use this as another vehicle to measure your shortcomings.  If you didn’t accomplish something you wanted take a look at why.  Does it still matter?  If it does, what progress did you make?  If it originally made it onto the list out of guilt, comparison to someone else or a case of the “shoulds”, ditch it.

Intention         Based on what I learn from step 1, I set my intention for the next year.  This includes what I want more of in addition to what I will let go of.  I have to make space for the new.  If you want better clients and more juicy work, you have to let go of the ones that drain you.  May feel scary but this key step has consistently worked for me.

Intention can take any form that means something to you – a list, daily affirmation, painting, visualization or developing a new habit.  Use your imagination.  Make something with your hands.  I’m a collage nut.  They are a mysterious form of manifestation that invites your subconscious into the process.

Celebration         The upside of not having an intact work group to celebrate the holidays is that you get to skip the obligatory potlucks and awkward social niceties with people you wouldn’t normally choose to spend time with.  If you’re an introvert or prefer you own company, this is your get out of jail free card.

If you enjoy the holiday social scene, create your own.   Gather a few friends –perhaps other entrepreneurs – for a holiday celebration that is enjoyable for you.

Annual bonus          A few years ago when our daughter was on a school field trip and I was wrapping up a  banner year, we dashed off to Hawaii for a quick getaway before Christmas.   I joked at the time that it was my year-end bonus.  It’s no joke any more.

It’s important to appreciate the work it takes to run our own show and award ourselves in some way that delights us.  Something special that gives you pleasure.  No one else even has to know about it.

This practice is my wrap up to the year before taking a break for the holidays.  Two weeks to reimagine, recreate, reconnect, rest and play.  Time is my most treasured bonus.