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SEARCHAs we approach the end of 2010, I am making a mental checklist. How was this year? Did I accomplish the things I set out to do? Did I enjoy myself while doing so? What am I looking forward to (or dreading) for next year?
As we approach the end of 2010, I am making a mental checklist. How was this year? Did I accomplish the things I set out to do? Did I enjoy myself while doing so? What am I looking forward to (or dreading) for next year?
I look at each new year as a new chapter — at work and at home. It’s a tidy way to gauge where we are and what we are doing. It’s the perfect time to reflect on the year behind and project for the year ahead.
We sometimes get wrapped up in the daily minutiae but it’s important to take a (big) step back and look at the whole picture. There are times when I’m so entrenched in daily tasks (Did I post a new nail art blog today? Did I finish
writing this page?) that I get overwhelmed and stressed. If you don’t let yourself reflect on the overall picture you won’t know what you’ve accomplished and how you can grow in the future.
Maybe you added a new service this year or hired a new employee. But then you just jumped right back into the daily task-oriented operations. Use the end of the year to assess how these decisions affected your business. Did they help or hurt?
You probably already do something similar. What I do isn’t formal. But it still helps me think about where I’ve been and where I’m going.
Here’s an end-of-the-year checklist to get you started:
1. Did I set any professional goals this year? Did I meet those goals?
2. Was business better than last year? What did I do that I can replicate next year? (If it wasn’t better, what should I do next year to increase/ improve my business?)
3. What changes did I make this year? Were they ultimately worth it?
4. What was the most satisfying part of my job this year? How can I do more of that?
5. What was my biggest accomplishment? What made it possible?
6. What was the biggest mistake I made this year? Did I learn from it? Can I avoid doing it again?
7. Were my business relationships as solid as they could be? (Did I treat my clients, employees/coworkers, vendors the way I’d like to be treated myself?
8. Was I the best I could be at my job? How can I stay on top of my game?
9. Am I ready for the coming year? What do I want to change and what do I want to keep the same? What are my new goals?
10. Did I make enough time for ME? What do I need to do to achieve worklife
balance?
So in the midst of all the stress (and celebration) of the holiday season, I hope you can take a little time out and assess the year you just had and mentally prepare for next year.
Good luck and happy holidays from the entire team at NAILS!
—Hannah
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