This week, we’re taking on a sort of ‘back to school’ theme and exploring ways to regain some momentum and re-engage in writing your own next chapter as the summer winds down.
I’ve never considered January 1st a particularly good moment to ‘begin the year’. There’s still leftover chaos or family (or both) cluttering the house and it takes me a full week just to remember what I’m supposed to be doing, let alone plan ahead and be intentional about the year.
For me, the work-year begins in September.
We’re all used to going back to school or college at this time of year, so why not keeping doing it as an adult? And for me at least, as the summer heat yields to crisper mornings, it naturally re-energizes me.
I also don’t work in terms of ‘quarters’ like you’re taught to in corporate America or government. I don’t make a quarterly plan, I make seasonal goals. It feels far more fluid to me to work with the seasons we already have, rather than ‘quarters’ we assign.
So September is the beginning of the fall ‘season’, the work-year, and the start of a new set of goals for me.
But regardless of how you break down the year, it’s a good idea to break it down somehow.
Whether you work in an office or retail, have a job, work at home, or have your own business, we tend to get more done on ‘things that matter’ when we map that out ahead of time. It doesn’t mean it has to be rigid, but it gives you a starting place for being able to identify and then focus on the really important stuff (and diminish the work you do on other, less important tasks).
Of course, the first thing you want to do before launching into what you want out of the next year or season (or quarter if you prefer), is to review the last year or quarter. And the very MOST important part of that is to celebrate what you accomplished.
This turns out to be harder than most people think, especially if you don’t do it routinely.
But it truly is essential, even when you feel silly doing it.
Trying asking yourself the following questions about the last few months (or the last year if you want to join me in starting our work-year together next month!)
What I am proud of accomplishing or happy about attracting/getting?
Put at least 10 things on this list. Even if you have to stretch and put down tiny things, just keep listing stuff until you get in the groove. It gets easier to remember good things when you are in the habit of listing them! Take your time on this. Enjoy getting into it.
And resist the temptation to add a ‘but….’ to the end of each item. e.g. but it wasn’t as much as I hoped, but my sister did it better, but then I had to spend it on repairs, but it didn’t look the way I imagined….stop. This is not the place for that. We’ll get to what you might want to improve in a bit. This is purely about celebration and remembering what you did or received.
Why is this exercise useful and not at all silly? Because it creates momentum, perspective, AND helps you get clarity about what you value about your own life and work. I think it’s one of the most under-appreciated steps in virtually anything and a step that goal-oriented people often skip. Don’t skip it.
Now for each of the items on your list, write down why you’re proud of that or happy about it! What is the real difference it makes to you, or how has it helped you grow, or what does it mean or prove to you?
This anchors each of your items in terms of personal benefit and value. Sometimes the answers seem obvious, but don’t let yourself settle for that.
For example, for ‘I got a raise’, don’t allow ‘more money’ to be your ‘why’. Of course you’re happy you have a higher income, but what does it allow you to do or feel? (Breathe easier to have more set aside for surprises? Invest in your Italy fund? Finally take ‘repair the back fence’ off your list?’)
Excellent! I hope you’re surprised at how much you did do or receive over the summer, or over the last year!
Now, spend a little while asking yourself this:
What was I just tolerating this year (season)?
This is a biggie, and often brings up lots of sighing, and sometimes tough emotions. Note that we’re not talking about fixing anything at the moment though, just building awareness. Try going for 10 again.
We all have tolerations - from squeaky desk chairs, to clothes you don’t like, to not being in shape the way you’d prefer, to sometimes really big deals like lackluster marriages or feeling obligations to spend time with friends or in-laws you basically can’t stand.
Some of your list might be things you continue to choose to tolerate for good reasons, and some (in the next phase of looking ahead), you might choose to tackle. But for now, just take a deep breath and list them.
And then finally, in this review:
What went really well this year/season? What worked? (think habits you changed, or new work you took on, or friendships you are investing in, or parenting decisions you made….all kinds of things)
What didn’t go so well? What didn’t work?
Again, try not to be judgmental with this - our lives are all a big experiment and in every year or quarter there will be things that go swimmingly well, and other things that don’t. That’s ok - actually better than ok, as long we keep growing through these things and build awareness.
The only ‘bad’ way of doing this, is not doing it at all. Reviews can be fun, and uncomfortable, but hopefully, lead us to a better next chapter!
Tomorrow, we’ll look ahead to planning the next quarter/season or year!