Year End Reflection and Looking Ahead to 2024

Here is a great year end exercise to review and celebrate your year!   Give it some thought as it will help you celebrate 2023 and set you up for clarity and success in 2024!

 

People are generally good at setting goals, but we’re not always so good at reviewing and celebrating them.   So, let’s do it!   Set aside 30 minutes of quiet time and feel into the following questions.   Try to identify five items for each question.  Can be big or small, whatever resonates most with you. 

 

Consider 5 brutal facts of your current reality. List them.

 

Consider failures, disappointments, letdowns, breakdowns and losses in 2023.  List them. 

 

What significance does each hold for me?    

 

Where did my leadership fail me this year? 

 

Where have I abdicated responsibility? 

 

Where am I hiding? 

 

Where have I failed to act?

 

What has this year taught me about myself?  

 

How have I transformed? 

 

What are my top 5 achievements this past year?  What am I most proud of? 

 

What has been the impact of these achievements on myself, others and the world?  

 

What 5 new or existing relationships did I develop?  

 

What did I enjoy most in my life this past year?  

 

If I was writing a newspaper headline that summarizes 2023 for me, what would it say?  

2023 is the year of  ___________ because ____________.  

 

Where do I need to up my game in 2024? 

 

What is my commitment in creating the world I envision? 

 

How will I make this commitment real in 2024? 

 

A question to ask myself to help guide my upcoming year is ____________________? 

 

My theme song for 2024 is _____________.

 

An inspiring quote for 2024 is ______________.

 

A word or principle I want to embody in 2024 is ___________.  

 

Now, review your responses.  How are you feeling?  What are the highlights?   What themes or patterns are there?  What would you like to really, really celebrate?   Acknowledge yourself for your achievements, your growth, who you are and who you are becoming!   To wrap up, what reward would remind you that you worked hard, learned and grew as a person?   Find something that anchors you here in this space and recognises your efforts.  

 

Extension Activity – PYR 

Inspired by Tim Ferriss I’ve tended to steer clear of New Year’s Resolutions in recent years and focused on a Past Year Review (PYR) instead. The results have been amazing! Here is the process: 

Past Year Review (PYR) Activity: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Preparation

Grab a notepad and create two clear columns: POSITIVE and NEGATIVE. This will serve as your categorization space.

 

Step 2: Calendar Review

Go through your calendar from the last year, week by week. Take note of every significant event, activity, commitment, or interaction.

 

Step 3: Categorization 

For each week, jot down on the notepad any people, activities, or commitments that triggered peak positive or negative emotions. Place them in their respective columns (POSITIVE or NEGATIVE).

 

Step 4: Analyze

Peaks Once you’ve covered the entire past year, review your notepad list. Ask yourself, “What 20% of each column produced the most reliable or powerful peaks?”

 

 

Step 5: Positive Leaders

Identify the key positive elements and leaders from your list. Schedule more of these in the new year. Put them on your calendar immediately. Consider booking activities with friends and prepaying for events that bring joy.

 

Step 6: Negative Leaders

For the negative elements, create a "NOT-TO-DO LIST" at the top of a new page or a prominent place. Include the people and things that consistently make you miserable. Make a commitment not to put them on your calendar out of obligation, guilt, FOMO, or other reasons.

 

Step 7: Visibility

Place your "NOT-TO-DO LIST" somewhere visible each morning for the first few weeks of the new year. This serves as a daily reminder of what to avoid and helps you stay focused on positive choices.

 

Step 8: Implementation

Take proactive steps to schedule positive activities and avoid negative influences in your daily and weekly planning. Remember, it's not real until it's in the calendar.

 

By following these steps, you'll gain valuable insights from the past year and create a plan for a more positive and fulfilling upcoming year.

 

Happy New Year!

 

Warmly, 

 

Shane

 

LIVE BOLD. POWERFUL. LIMITLESS.