What makes this end of the year such an important cut off for completing myriad tasks and projects? For some, it marks the end of the financial year, and that means having end of year reporting complete. For others. Is this mad rush to get things done and dusted really necessary? What are we doing? Thinking? Or is it just what’s expected of us by our organisations?
Consider this for a moment.
All this frantic activity is out of keeping with the time of year — certainly for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. We are moving deep into winter, and quickly approaching the Winter Solstice. The days are cold and dark; the nights drawing in noticeably. Here in London, what grey daylight we have begins with sunrise just before 8am and darkness by 4pm.
The trees are bare; the earth is sleeping. Only a few evergreens provide us with that life-giving oxygen we need to survive. Little wonder our energy is low. There is precious little energy to draw on.
This is a time to follow nature’s lead and withdraw; step back from the busy-ness of your day to day and rest, replenish your energy, cozy up around the fire and gently reflect on the past year. I encourage you to carve out some precious ‘me time’ in the next few weeks. Take the time to step back, even for half an hour, and consider..
- What have been your key accomplishments this year? The things you’re proud of — both at work and at home?
- Where have you excelled?
- What have you learned?
- What about your failures? Your faux pas? What have these taught you about the nature of failure and importantly, what have they taught you about yourself?
- Who have you become? How have you grown?
Acknowledge yourself for your achievements. Celebrate your wins, and thank yourself for how much you have grown this past year.
When I work with clients, we set a baseline at the beginning of our time together. Put a few stakes in the ground for the four areas of our lives that matter most: our work/careers, our health and wellbeing, our wealth, and our relationships. How powerful do you feel right now in each of these areas? How purposeful? How well do you relate to the people in each of these key areas?
It’s often a sobering experience as women leaders realise that certain areas of their lives are well taken care of and others have been seriously neglected. It’s those neglected areas that need your attention. For you to feel truly fulfilled and authentic, all four of these areas need to be given their due. Every three months, we look back at progress against that baseline. How has the situation improved? Who has that woman leader become?
By looking back and gauging progress against the baseline, we are always able to celebrate our accomplishments. And from that solid base, make our plans for the next 12 months, setting out the key milestones needed to achieve them.
This is the time for reflection, for acknowledging your accomplishments and your growth as an individual and a leader. And for gently and intuitively setting out your vision and plans for the coming year.
Once the madness of the next couple of weeks is over, and Christmas has worked its magic (or not), sit down with your heart and soul and make your big plans for 2025. Plans that excite you an scare you in equal measure. You may find it’s now time to seek support in ensuring you achieve those outcomes or something even better. If so, let’s talk.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.