It is a healthy activity to reflect back on the time gone by, in an objective way, before making plans for the year ahead. However, most of us are moving towards one of the two extremes:
<ol>
<li>Self-ridicule or lamenting the stuff we didn’t do or did wrong.</li>
<li>Self-congratulation or patting oneself on the back for all the great stuff we did, while ignoring the mistakes.</li>
</ol>

Reviewing Your Year

While reflecting on the past, we normally look at our achievements and appreciate what we have been successful at.
Despite our best efforts, we sometimes do not get success due to other factors like luck, timing etc. The right approach is to learn from the experiences and to appreciate one’s effort.
Example: Going for various interviews that didn’t go well wasted a lot of our time, energy, effort and resources, but we still have to appreciate our effort and what all we learned from the rejections.

Reviewing The Year: Achievement And Effort

If we learned and changed during the past year/decade, we are on the path towards growth, even though it may not be visible or tangible as of now.
Personal growth means your experiments are paying results. The troubling thing would be to remain completely unchanged, as stagnancy is a cause for concern.

Reviewing The Year: Self-Change

It’s a great idea to have an objective assessment for one’s achievements and efforts, reviewing them like a supportive boss would do while providing an appraisal.
To maintain an ideal balance, give yourself constructive feedback (25 percent) and appreciate the hard work and achieved goals (75 percent).

Reviewing The Year: The Boss-Like Evaluation

"Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action."

Sometimes the reason for your success is the failure you endured. The good nights sleep that helped you shine the next day for the interview, is an important aspect of success.
Most of the time it is our own self-care and other unidentified reasons that become a cause for our eventual success, and one needs to think holistically while reflecting to find the hidden reasons.

Reviewing The Year: Understand What Worked

<img src="https://blogs-images.forbes.com/sophiamatveeva/files/2019/08/Sophia-Matveeva_avatar_1566462431-400x400.jpg" alt="Sophia Matveeva" width="64" height="64"><div><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sophiamatveeva/" dir="ltr">Sophia Matveeva</a>Former Contributor</div><div>Startup founder in retail tech.</div><figure><img src="https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/960x0/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F5e01a8e725ab5d0007cf2bf4%2F960x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale" alt="Harriet Minter, coach and co-host of Badass Women's Hour" width="359" height="239"><figcaption dir="auto">Harriet Minter, coach, broadcaster and co-host of Badass Women's Hour

 HARRIET MINTER</figcaption></figure>As the year draws to a close, many of us are reflecting on the year, and the decade that passed. Hopefully, some of us are looking back at proud moments, and achievements we did not think possible this time last year. Yet, our culture is so focussed on self improvement, that many of us are undoubtedly looking back at the year and thinking of all the things we did not do, and all the new year resolutions we did not keep.Before we begin making plans for the year ahead, it is important to reflect and be as objective as possible.Coach Harriet Minter says that conducting your own end of year review is only useful if you can walk the line between self-castigation and self-congratulation. If you only tell yourself off for what you did wrong, or did not achieve, your end of year review will not be instructive. Equally, if you simply look back and pat yourself on the back, there will no be learning.To begin your year end review, look back at what you aimed to achieve and how you hoped this achievement would make you feel. In The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul, author Danielle LaPorte says, that the goals we set ourselves are often the gateway to a feeling we want.&nbsp;PROMOTED<h3> Five Lessons From The Pandemic Light A Path Forward To The Future Of Work </h3><div dir="ltr">Fannie Mae&nbsp;BrandVoice&nbsp;| Paid Program</div><h3> People Everywhere Are Being Priced Out Of Housing. But Together, We Can Make It More Affordable </h3><div dir="ltr">UNICEF USA&nbsp;BrandVoice&nbsp;| Paid Program</div><h3> World Children’s Day Gifts That Give Kids A Better Today And Tomorrow </h3>For example, we may be focused on getting promoted — an achievement. The feeling we want to get from that is pride in our work being recognized. It is good to remember the feeling we wanted when reflecting on the achievements, because while we may have not got the latter, we may have got the former. For example, perhaps you did not get promoted, but you started a series of networking events for your professional community, which means more people know and admire you for your work.Achievement and effortMinter says that when reviewing your year, remember to give yourself marks for achievement and effort. Sometimes, despite all our best efforts, the achievements we aim for do not come to fruition. The timing may be bad, the team may not work out, or maybe you just got unlucky. This does not mean you should completely discount your efforts. Often, the lessons and network we get from trying something new turns out to be useful in a way we did not expect.&nbsp;<div>MORE FOR YOU</div><h3 data-ga-track="Most Popular - Automated Recirc - Link 3">Wall Street Banks And Tech Companies Are Fleeing New York And California</h3>For example, if your aim was to get a book published, and you sent it to every single agent, but they chose not to represent it, you still get full marks for effort. The question to ask then is: if I made all this effort, and it still did not work, what can I learn from this? Where else should I apply all my efforts instead?Have you changed?Economist John Maynard Keynes famously said “When the facts change, I change my mind.” Apply the same principle to reviewing your year. What you wanted last year may not be what you want today. This realization can be growth in itself.For example, last year you may have been burning with entrepreneurial desire and planned to start a new venture. After having began work on it, you have may realized that entrepreneurship is not for you, and that you prefer growing within a large corporation. Learning from active experimentation is growth, even though it may not be in the way you initially expected.Be your best bossOnce you have collected information on your achievements and efforts, then comes the time to review them. That means objectively asking: what went well? What did not go to plan? Why?&nbsp;This is a danger zone for too much self-criticism, which is usually not productive. Minter suggests imagining how the best boss you could possibly have would handle your end of year appraisal. A good leader would help you see your strong sides and remind you of your achievements. They would show you your strengths and help you make a plan to use them more.&nbsp;The best boss would also give you constructive feedback on where things did not work, and make a plan for how to avoid these pitfalls in future. Minter says a good balance is about 75% focus on strengths and 25% on constructive feedback.&nbsp;When and why did you shine?Minter says that when you are reflecting on something that went exceptionally well, think about the situation as a whole to decipher what factors helped that success. For example, if you gave an excellent presentation that helped sign a new client, think holistically about your day and frame of mind then. Did you get a very good night’s sleep because you had a light dinner the night before? Did you recently have a romantic date with your partner that gave you a spring in your step?&nbsp;As renowned therapist Esther Perel says, we bring our whole selves to work. Reflecting on what was happening in our life on the days when things went well or badly helps us understand the full picture, to either avoid or recreate in future.&nbsp;Renowned management author Peter Drucker said “follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” At this time of year, it is important to reflect before delving into new plans. Make sure to be both kind and realistic about the past, to set yourself up for an exciting future.Are you doing an end of year review for yourself? What works for you? Tweet me your suggestions on @sophiamatveeva<div dir="ltr">Follow me on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-matveeva-556365a/" dir="ltr">LinkedIn</a>.&nbsp;Check out&nbsp;my&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sophiamatveeva.com/" dir="ltr">website</a>.&nbsp;</div><img src="https://blogs-images.forbes.com/sophiamatveeva/files/2019/08/Sophia-Matveeva_avatar_1566462431-400x400.jpg" alt="Sophia Matveeva" width="44" height="44">

Reflecting on what we did and how we did it is vital before we delve into making new plans. Here is a coach's advice on how to review your year.

Self Improvement

As the year draws to a close, many of us are reflecting on the year, and the decade that passed. Hopefully, some of us are looking back at proud moments, and achievements we did not think possible this time last year. Yet, our culture is so focussed on self improvement, that many of us are undoubtedly looking back at the year and thinking of all the things we did not do, and all the new year resolutions we did not keep.

Before we begin making plans for the year ahead, it is important to reflect and be as objective as possible.

Coach Harriet Minter says that conducting your own end of year review is only useful if you can walk the line between self-castigation and self-congratulation. If you only tell yourself off for what you did wrong, or did not achieve, your end of year review will not be instructive. Equally, if you simply look back and pat yourself on the back, there will no be learning.

To begin your year end review, look back at what you aimed to achieve and how you hoped this achievement would make you feel. In The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul , author Danielle LaPorte says, that the goals we set ourselves are often the gateway to a feeling we want.

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People Everywhere Are Being Priced Out Of Housing. But Together, We Can Make It More Affordable

World Children’s Day Gifts That Give Kids A Better Today And Tomorrow

For example, we may be focused on getting promoted — an achievement. The feeling we want to get from that is pride in our work being recognized. It is good to remember the feeling we wanted when reflecting on the achievements, because while we may have not got the latter, we may have got the former. For example, perhaps you did not get promoted, but you started a series of networking events for your professional community, which means more people know and admire you for your work.

Achievement and effort

Minter says that when reviewing your year, remember to give yourself marks for achievement and effort. Sometimes, despite all our best efforts, the achievements we aim for do not come to fruition. The timing may be bad, the team may not work out, or maybe you just got unlucky. This does not mean you should completely discount your efforts. Often, the lessons and network we get from trying something new turns out to be useful in a way we did not expect.

Wall Street Banks And Tech Companies Are Fleeing New York And California

For example, if your aim was to get a book published, and you sent it to every single agent, but they chose not to represent it, you still get full marks for effort. The question to ask then is: if I made all this effort, and it still did not work, what can I learn from this? Where else should I apply all my efforts instead?

Have you changed?

Economist John Maynard Keynes famously said “When the facts change, I change my mind.” Apply the same principle to reviewing your year. What you wanted last year may not be what you want today. This realization can be growth in itself.

For example, last year you may have been burning with entrepreneurial desire and planned to start a new venture. After having began work on it, you have may realized that entrepreneurship is not for you, and that you prefer growing within a large corporation. Learning from active experimentation is growth, even though it may not be in the way you initially expected.

Be your best boss

Once you have collected information on your achievements and efforts, then comes the time to review them. That means objectively asking: what went well? What did not go to plan? Why?

This is a danger zone for too much self-criticism, which is usually not productive. Minter suggests imagining how the best boss you could possibly have would handle your end of year appraisal. A good leader would help you see your strong sides and remind you of your achievements. They would show you your strengths and help you make a plan to use them more.

The best boss would also give you constructive feedback on where things did not work, and make a plan for how to avoid these pitfalls in future. Minter says a good balance is about 75% focus on strengths and 25% on constructive feedback.

When and why did you shine?

Minter says that when you are reflecting on something that went exceptionally well, think about the situation as a whole to decipher what factors helped that success. For example, if you gave an excellent presentation that helped sign a new client, think holistically about your day and frame of mind then. Did you get a very good night’s sleep because you had a light dinner the night before? Did you recently have a romantic date with your partner that gave you a spring in your step?

As renowned therapist Esther Perel says, we bring our whole selves to work. Reflecting on what was happening in our life on the days when things went well or badly helps us understand the full picture, to either avoid or recreate in future.

Renowned management author Peter Drucker said “follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” At this time of year, it is important to reflect before delving into new plans. Make sure to be both kind and realistic about the past, to set yourself up for an exciting future.

Are you doing an end of year review for yourself? What works for you? Tweet me your suggestions on @sophiamatveeva

How To Review Your Year

Reviewing Your Year

Reviewing The Year: Achievement And Effort

Reviewing The Year: Self-Change

Reviewing The Year: The Boss-Like Evaluation

PETER DRUCKER

Reviewing The Year: Understand What Worked

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