7 Reasons why you need to review your year

review

As we approach the end of the year many of us will be looking forward to the New Year with all of the opportunities this brings. It can be tempting to look ahead, perhaps set some New Years resolutions, and move forward without taking time to acknowledge the year which has been.

We rarely take time to stop and make sense of what has been going on for us when we are constantly busy with our personal and professional lives. It is easy to forget what has been achieved, all that has been learnt and challenges which have been overcome, when we do not take time out to reflect.

Here are 7 reasons why reviewing your year is good for your personal and professional development.

Allows you to see the bigger picture -  When you are able to see the bigger picture this will provide an overview of all that you have achieved. It is easy for our judgement to be skewed and often the negative will dominate our thoughts. For all of us there will be some positives and lots of learning from things that haven't worked out well.

Acknowledge your achievements - It is important to acknowledge what you have achieved and learnt over the year.  When you are busy with your personal and professional life and dealing with any challenges, it can be hard to see your achievements. It is good to note what you have achieved allowing you to grow in confidence and to continue developing your skills. 

Let go of your disappointments - There will be events and factors during the year which have disappointed and even caused you discomfort. These can become much bigger than they need to be if we allow the disappointment and feelings of failure to take over. Let go of those things which didn't work and you will be able to move forward and leave any baggage behind.

Learning and growth -  We rarely have time to dig deep and ask searching questions which enables learning and growth. Taking time out to review, particularly at the end of a year, will provide huge insight which can be built on further.

What you will do differently - Identifying what has not worked well, making changes and not repeating mistakes, enables you to move forward. Rather than focusing on failures, identify any changes you wish to make, as a positive aspect of the review process.

Allows you to identify what gave you energy and what drained you - Recognising what practices, people and events have drained you will allow you to make changes to prevent this from reoccurring. Knowing what gives you energy will ensure you have what is needed to sustain you over the next year.

Set your personal and professional goals with clarity -  Taking any learning and insights from the past year will put you in a strong position to set your goals for the coming year. You will then be able to make 2017 all that you would like it to be.

Conclusion

As the end of the year approaches it is a great opportunity to stop, take time to reflect and see the bigger picture. When you acknowledge what have you learnt, decide what you will do differently and let go of any disappointments, you will know how to move towards 2017 with intention and clarity.

Rather than setting New Years' resolutions, which you may not keep, why don't you spend some quality time in review. You can then move on to set your personal and professional goals with confidence.

Download my free 10 page Review Your Year Workbook. This workbook will help you to review your year, reflect on what has gone well, consider your learning and let go of any disappointments.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog

My name is Diane Benson and I support busy professional women in their personal and professional development. For a healthy work/life balance, reduced stress and increased effectiveness.

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Diane