Year-End Reflections and Planning for 2010

I've always loved the week between Christmas and New Year's, even when I had no vacation days left and found myself working in a deadly quiet office. It's in the stillness that my mind settles down enough to plan for the coming year and reflect on what I've learned from the previous year. It's also the time to clean out clutter--both mental and physical, so that the new year starts with clear, glorious space.  Photo by aramolara.

This happens for businesses as well as individuals. Several years ago, I wrote a blog post, Six Questions for the New Year, which looking back, can be just as easily applied to a business. Photo by Wolfgang Staudt.

Here are the six questions:

1. What accomplishments do I/we want to celebrate?
2. What disappointments do I/we want to acknowledge and let go of?
3. What are the lessons learned?
4. What are we grateful for?
5. What do we most want for the coming year?
6. What commitment are we ready to make? 

Whether you do this as a business/organization or as an individual, take a moment to reflect on these questions.  You'll be glad you did.

Comments

[Dora]

Being 2010, I had a reflection over the past decade, and realise to my disappointment, that I seem to have much more downs than ups.

The downs were more like slow slides to oblivion, which were occasionally punctuated by unbelievable highs, and then more downs.

I've spent way too much time in the past decade doing what I don't like, mostly out of laziness and FEAR.

Time for a change I'd say. ;)

[Carol Ross]

Hi Dora,

The first step to change is awareness, so you've already taken a step in the right direction.

Life will always be full of ups and downs. The downs can be a gift, if you decide to mine the learning from the experience...

Fear sucks, doesn't it? When I'm fearful, I put myself in a cramped box. All the life in me gets drained.

Curious as to what you chose for your theme this year (or decade.) What will replace fear?

[Dora]

I have chosen a theme for this year (or decade, depending on how long I actually remember it!), but I've chosen it without thinking whether it replaces fear.

It sounds very simple, but I guess simple's what I need. Anything too overly complicated, I will undoubtedly forget.

It's to enjoy life, before anything kills me.

The death bit is there to remind me that nothing it guaranteed. Not even tomorrow.

To enjoy life, to me it broadly emcompasses everything I want to do and pursue in life. To not sit back, be lazy, or settle for things I don't enjoy because for a whole host of reasons. To go and try and pursue a life that I enjoy. That I am happy with.

The death bit eggs me on.

Nothing but a little morbidity to do the trick. ;)

[Carol Ross]

Hi Dora,

Lovely to see that you are focusing on enjoying life in every moment, knowing that's all you have is the current moment. The point about not settling is an important one. Too many people go on auto pilot and their entire life becomes one of settling for instead of reaching for.....