3 Steps to a Remarkable New Year: Review, Reflect, Resolve
As the year comes to a close, amidst the hectic holiday and business year end “to-dos,” I urge you to find some quiet time just for yourself. Sit or walk, be still or move – whatever helps you have an open and clear mind. Bring along a pad of paper or your favorite electronic device and give yourself the precious gift of reflective, uninterrupted time to set your intention for a remarkable new year.
Review
1. First, spend some time reviewing the year you have had both personally and professionally. Don’t be too easy or too hard on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up for what you didn’t accomplish or for mistakes and failures. Rather, just summarize and describe the year you’ve had in a few words or in a sentence or two. At the end of this review, if you are so inclined, write a headline to a story about the prior year.
We recently asked “How would you describe your 2012?” on social media. Bold business women, passionate professionals, enthusiastic entrepreneurs and fearless females around the world reflected and gave us their answers. Read them here!
Reflect
2. Once you’ve managed to succinctly describe your year, spend some time considering how you feel about the statements you came up with. Are you proud? Are you sad? Are you inspired? Are you encouraged or discouraged? What have you learned about yourself and your work this past year? What can you build on? What should you discard or abandon to create more space so you can better achieve what you set out to accomplish.
Resolve
3. Think ahead to next year. See if you can tap into your true sense of purpose, that which ignites your true spirit. How do you want to describe your year at the end of 2013? How do you want to feel? What would be and feel so right for you? For now, don’t set goals, timelines or actions. Instead, set an overall intention for your year. Consider, above all what you intend to create for yourself, your business and your career.
Ruminate on your intention for awhile. Sit with it, embrace it, play it out over and over in your mind. If its helpful to you, share it with a trusted friend, mentor or sponsor. Ask yourself, if you can truly own it. Are you fully committed to manifest this intention?
Since I work to practice what I preach, here are mine:
Review
2012: A Year of Transition, Foundation and Growth
Reflection
2012 was the year I laid the foundation to provide business and career advice for women in developing and emerging markets and around the world. I feel great about hiring Erin Swanson, our Director of Digital. I feel both good about the investments I made, the progress we made, the global partnerships we developed and the changes I made both in my work – even giving up many wonderful clients to focus more completely on my true professional life purpose – and in my home life to create more space to achieve my vision and I am impatient with the pace of our growth and reach.
Resolution
2013 is the breakout year for The Way Women Work!
I am steadfast in my belief that my life’s journey has prepared me for this time. I commit to add real value to the businesses, careers and lives of business women in developing and emerging markets through a “how to succeed” book written specifically for them and by sharing practical and expert professional advice with women globally.
Wishing you a remarkable 2013! Write and tell us about it. We’d love to share your success.