The dawning of a new era

Beware: this can seriously alter the direction of your life. 

'Let me reflect on that, and I’ll let you know.' Anyone in sales knows that usually means “no”. However, when it comes to personal growth, it usually means “there is a lesson in there somewhere, and I need to try and find it”. Reflecting on the activities of the year is also a great way to spend some quiet moments over the Christmas season whenever there’s a pause in the festivities.

One of the most memorable lessons that caused a significant change in the direction of my life was during such a moment of reflection, and it came out of the blue when I wasn't expecting it. I attended a course designed to discover the purpose of your life, that "sweetspot" where everything becomes worthwhile and exciting, and boy, did it significantly affect the direction of my life. 

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection.  From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”
~ Peter Drucker

Way back in Roman times, in an account written on the Civil War (Commentarii de Bello Civili), Julius Caesar is credited with saying that ‘Experience is the teacher of all things’; however, Water Scott (1854-1900) disagrees with the proverb, saying that 'experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.' I suspect that there is wisdom in both sayings, and perhaps the best summary is summed up by John C Maxwell: “Experience isn’t the best teacher; evaluated experience is.”

“Experience isn’t the best teacher; evaluated experience is.”
~ John Maxwell.

I usually try to carve out some time during Christmas to reflect on life's lessons. I've built this into a "Best Year Ever" exercise and shared that in my "Personal Productivity Planner" that I use with clients. I've found that it's become a constructive way to end one year and start the next with renewed enthusiasm and focus. 

An excellent way to do this is to have a notepad handy to jot things down in a quiet moment. I prefer an electronic note-taking app on my phone, and some prefer paper notepads. I use a new entry for each of the headings below to capture the memories as I recall them.

Highlights, Successes & Achievements

The first step is to consider this year's Highlights, Successes & Achievements. This is an opportunity to reflect on everything that went well and celebrate all the good things that have happened in the last 12 months. We can sometimes forget the positive things we've experienced; this is the time to get them written down so we can look back at them in future years.

Low points, Failures & Disappointments

The second step is to write down the year's Low points, Failures & Disappointments. It's not a time to dwell on the negative thoughts, but it is a great way to dig into this year’s challenges and learn their lessons - remember that evaluated experience is the best teacher.

Saboteurs, Struggles & Self-Limiting beliefs

These are the glass ceilings, the invisible barriers, the things that live in our minds and hold us back from experiencing all that we can achieve. Again, it's not a time to dwell on the negative thoughts, but it is a helpful way to dig into this year’s challenges and learn their lessons.

Six Hats & Six Outcomes

The next stage is to list the different roles you play in life. My six roles, or hats, include Personal, Husband, Father, Grandfather (a new hat for this year) and a couple of business-related hats too. Next, for each hat, you need to identify the top six outcomes you might like to achieve next year; that makes a possible 36 outcomes. We're not going to try to complete them all; instead, we'll select the top six outcomes in the “Best Year Ever” plan for next year. So, before choosing the top six, it's essential to get all the priorities on the table.

I’ve done this exercise for the last few years and found that the clarity it brings to the focus for the year has been beneficial. A well-known concept talks about “putting the big rocks in first” so we can keep the main thing as the main thing throughout the year. That way, when you reflect on 2023, you’ll see that you’ve made it a great year.

In my next blog, I'll explain what the Personal Productivity Planner does next about making these Outcomes a reality, and I hope to help you make next year your "Best Year Ever".