Tuesday Thoughts #028, Annual Review Part I
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Hi there,
This year has been the best year of my life.
I entered the year:
Jobless with several months of failure job hunting already behind me.
Unable to run and wondering whether I would again.
In a promising relationship, but not without some question marks (mostly related to me...).
As we quickly march through December, I'm taking a moment to recognize the year that was. It has not been without struggle, but I have grown more in the last 12 months than any other period in my life.
I'm currently:
Employed in a position aligned with my core values of serving and educating others.
Still working on building leg strength, but I completed my first official marathon in FOUR years.
Engaged to the love of my life.
Writing and sharing knowledge with all of you.
Starting the year with an annual review allowed me to strategically align my actions and values towards my desired future self.
I'd like to say this is original work, but it's not -- Tiago Forte created the roadmap and it's been pivotal in helping me achieve the things that matter.
This was and will be a multiple-day process for me. The first half of the process is reflecting on the previous 12 months and then looking forward to next year. (Here's a google doc with a basic template.)
Next week, we'll write a personal narrative building on these reflections.
Step 1: Write a gratitude list for the last 12 months. Big. Small. Anything and everything.
My list was 73 items last year, but I expect to far surpass that this year. The # is not as important as the feeling of abundance the list creates. This positive mindset will be renewed each time you return to the document and establish the optimal conditions for aspirational planning.
Those gratitudes can also highlight what is most important to you.
Step 2: Reflect on the last 12 months.
What were your top 3 wins for the year?
What were the biggest lessons you’ve learned this year?
What was your biggest surprise this year?
What is your unfinished business from this year?
Who were the three people that had the greatest impact on your life this year?
What else do you need to do or say to be complete with this year?
What one word or phrase best sums up and describes your experience this year?
What stories from last year are you letting go of?
Step 3: Answer questions about next year:
What would make 2020 your best year ever?
What new habits can you cultivate to achieve those goals from the previous question?
What bad habits can you remove that will help you to achieve your goals?
What are your IMMEDIATE next steps to achieve these goals?
What advice would you like to give yourself?
What are you planning to do to improve your financial results?
What do you think your biggest risk will be?
Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving?
What about your work, are you most committed to changing and improving?
What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore?
What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that?
What one word or phrase would you like to have as your theme?
It's still early in the month, but we're only a few blinks away from 2020. Take some personal time and reflect.
What are your biggest wins and lessons learned this year?
What are some of the things that will make 2020 your best year yet?
How did you feel after completing this process?
What I'm Listening to:
The Joe Rogan Experience #1309 - Naval Ravikant. As recently mentioned, I just started listening to Podcasts. This is already a favorite. Naval is an entrepreneur and angel investor full of optimism and wisdom. Worth a listen, or three.
Quote of the Week:
"If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will." - Greg McKeown in Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
If you’re enjoying this newsletter, tell me about it and share it with your friends and family.
Have a great week!
Scott
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