5 Self-Reflections to Inspire 2020

19 Dec 5 Self-Reflections to Inspire 2020

5 Self-Reflections to Inspire 2020

As the year comes to a close, it’s a great time to look back before looking forward. It’s a busy time of year with parties, families and holiday commitments, but make the time. Schedule a 1-hour meeting with yourself, a pad of paper and a pen. Ask yourself some questions:

1. 1. What have you learned?

   2. What have you accomplished?

   3. Who have you met?

   4. What are you doing great?

   5. Where do you need help?

Find a place that inspires you. This could be your porch with holiday music playing in the background, the beach or your desk…whatever will give you some head space. Now think about each of these questions. These may not all be relevant, or you might have some to add. Make it your own, but my hope is that these inspire you.

What have you learned? This could be business related like a formal training class, a mentor or coach that has inspired you. In a conference I participated in this year, one of the speakers talked about how the world is aging, living longer and therefore living differently. Fascinating speaker (thank you Stephanie @GRMA). I also have a list of things I have learned from my team and mentees (I think they develop me more than I develop them!). What you have learned this year might also be personal, like how to deal with a kid going off to college or balance personal health like eating right and exercising. Everything will never be perfect, but reflecting on it will help you plan for the new year…it will be here in like 10 minutes.

What have you accomplished? Take a few minutes to bask in the glory of your achievements whether they are big or small. Sometimes we check things off the list so fast that we don’t take the time to appreciate all we get done in a day, a month, or a year. I recently heard a piece of advice from a fellow panelist at a speaking engagement… she keeps a list of her accomplishment throughout the year and uses that list as needed for resources and for reflection. Brilliant, right? (Thank you Valet Living).

Who have you met? This is a great time of year to appreciate new relationships and reconnect with old ones. If you went through your calendar and listed all the new people you met, you might be surprised at how long or short the list is. I find that this helps me focus in on the relationships I really want to grow as well as those people I really want to thank. A quick LinkedIn message that says, “I have been thinking of you and hope you are doing great,” can go a long way. I connect each year with a note, a card or a gift because it gives me an opportunity to connect and say I care (thank you 4Imprint and Minuteman Press who are helping us with our TMP gifts and cards this year). Don’t let this make you anxious (you don’t have to send a card to everyone you know ????). Simply creating your list and highlighting what or who is important to you for both business and family is the important part.

What are you doing great? Here is a chance for you to pat yourself on the back for what you are great at. At the Posse, we use StrengthsFinder to develop and optimize our team. My favorite part of this is spending time celebrating what each person’s strengths are and how we leverage those talents. We call them “Superpowers”. This year we talked about them in our annual planning meeting. Reflect on a project where you really shined or a situation you handled with grace that you are proud of. Go You!

Where do you need help? No one is great at everything. So, this is also a great time to think about areas where you need support or things you would do differently in the new year. Not a good cook or don’t want to be? Maybe there is a new meal solution you can explore. I love to cook, but just don’t have the time, so I have someone who loves to cook that helps me (thank you Alex@PeepsandEats). For business, we like to create partnerships at the Posse by pairing people with complementing talents for the task at hand. Go back to your list of people (see #3), and think about who can help you by either balancing your strengths with different strengths or by supporting you where you need it most.

One Hour. That’s all. Maybe the most valuable hour you could spend all year. Reflections on a year well spent could include:

1. 1. Learnings that make you better.

   2. Accomplishments that make you proud.

   3. People that are important to you.

   4. Strengths that inspire you.

   5. Support where you need it most.

What more could you ask for in one year? Start 2020 off with a clear view of where you are going by knowing where you have been. It’s going to be a great year.

The Marketing Posse provides training and people development as well as workshops for company culture development. We have a passion for people and for taking time to reflect on your business and what is most important to you. Give us a call if we can help.