I can’t believe Christmas is at the end of this week and the year is finished only a week later. I am not sure about you, but this year felt like it flew by! How do you feel about this year? What sort of a year has it been? Would you say it has been a successful year? Do you feel disappointed that you didn’t achieve more?
Personally I know I have had a successful year, yet I still feel I could have done more. Speaking to other business owners and clients it seems I am not alone. When we reach December all the big goals we set for the year start to pop up in our mind and when we realise we haven’t achieved them all it is easy to feel down or even agitated.
Self-Compassion
We start the year with so much excitement about what we want to achieve in the year, but it doesn’t always happen. Life often gets in the way of us achieving all our goals. This is totally normal, but sometimes we forget this…I know I do.
As you reflect on your year, remember to also reflect on what else was happening in your life and your relationships as you sought to build and grow your business. Did you struggle through your own health issues or support a family member through theirs? Did you move house? Did you experience the loss of a loved one? Did you have unexpected financial challenges?
Life is complicated and as business owners we are trying to create and expand within the “messiness” of life. It can be disheartening to get to the end of the year and realise that you didn’t do all the things you said you would do, but it doesn’t have to be like that.
What You Focus On Magnifies
What we focus on magnifies and can easily drown out other ways of seeing. When we focus on everything we didn’t manage to get done in the year, we shift the focus away from what we did achieve. It’s easy to get caught up in this limited view of the year and to start feeling disappointed, like a failure or even like we have been “lazy”.
However, when we can put the year into perspective and start to focus on what was great and how we challenged ourselves in new ways, we can start to celebrate and honour how hard we have worked and how far we have come.
6 Transformative Questions To Re-Frame 2016
Spend a few minutes this week doing this reflective writing activity to see more clearly how much you have grown in the last 12 months. This reflective activity allows you to see where you have come from to be where you are today. It’s time to own and celebrate your success and get excited about 2017!
1. What are you most proud of this year?
2. What did you say “yes” to this year that stretched you and took you out of your comfort zone?
3. What was the biggest challenge you overcame this year?
4. Looking back at this time last year, how have you grown in your business and personal life?
5. Looking back at this time 5 years ago, how have you grown in your business and personal life?
6. What valuable lessons did this year teach you?
Sometimes it can feel like we haven’t moved forward, but this activity shows you what a truly remarkable and transformation year 2016 has been. Even when life and business doesn’t go exactly to plan, if we are learning then we are always growing. In my opinion, personal and professional growth is the most powerful and important goal of them all!
I wish you all a very happy Christmas and hope you enjoy the break and get a chance to unwind and do the things you love.
To kick start 2017, download my 15 marketing strategies to get your business out there without busting your budget and set yourself up for a great year.
Merry Christmas.
