End of year reflection process

With an audio recording to support your exploration

I made some business decisions late last week after doing an annual review of my business, career, and the work I feel called to do.

I no longer do resolutions, but I do create a vision and strategize practices to support it coming true.

I intentionally reflect and plan in four areas to get clear on the next dream. It’s not as formal as how I’m sharing it here, but I want to give you some guiding points. The four areas are:

1. My career stories

2. Mindfulness skill level

3. Possible selves list

4. Resources that work

I’ll share the process and resources for each. I tend to do it all in one spurt, but you can take your time with this.

Here is a new recording and the process for assessing your career stories. (Note: the gathering process is the same as in my book, we use the data differently here though).

The Process

You’ll use a story process to remember what work worked for you in 2023.

1. Listen to this recording. You may choose to gather stories slowly over a week, or you may think of one memory, jot it down, and then think of another. Try to limit your memories to the last year.

2. Once you have 6-10 stories, look at the stories and try to sort out common themes in them like:

1. Type of work or project

2. The skills you were using

3. Who you were with

4. Location — where were you?

5. The topic(s)

6. Anything else that comes up for you

From this data you can make a list of ideal work, people, location, and project scope.

An example: When I did this, my favourite work moments were going deep into conversations about writing or meditation with people, working with people to strategize and improve their stories and how they show up as leaders & getting them to try on mindsets and postures, and doing research and building out leadership development and mindfulness programs.

I can then say, “I am happiest when creating, actively teaching/sharing alongside people, and working with the topics of theatre expression, mindfulness, and leadership development.

Boom.

3. Think about how you can shift your work to focus more on the stuff that makes you happy.

If you have your own business, what can you cut or end? What could you add?

In your job, what kind of projects do you want to propose or seek out that allows you do your fave work most often.

This completes the first part of an annual reflection review. I’ll share the mindfulness review framework early next week — I’ll make it prettier than my scrap notes for you.

Question: What work made you happiest in the last year? What are the people, projects, or topics you want to do more of? I’d love to know.