We made it! We reached the end of another year.
This is the ideal time to take a breather and reflect on “the year that was.”
I used to run a session on exactly this, during my team’s Kickstart Meeting in early January. It’s something I encourage all managers and leaders to do with their teams. I’ll chat more about that when we return in the new year.
Perhaps more importantly, I do this exercise with MYSELF about halfway through December. Kinda right about now.
Thankfully, it’s pretty simple. I’m seeing posts with people sharing complicated “year in review” strategies, plus overly complex questions they use as part of it. Maybe they’re trying to be a bit too clever? Each to their own but that’s not for me. Simple is exactly how I like it.
See my (basic) drawing. It’s a wheel with 5 categories:
👉 START – what should I start doing (in 2024) that I’ve not done yet?
👉 STOP – what do I need to stop doing? What’s getting in the way?
👉 KEEP – what’s working well, that I need to continue doing?
👉 MORE – what should I do more of?
👉 LESS – what should I do less of?
I start by focussing on work-related stuff. Once I’ve done that, I reflect on personal stuff. Then I combine them to get a final wheel that is my initial roadmap for 2024. Try using colours, images, symbols and icons to help reinforce your key messages, items and actions.
As you can see, it’s not rocket science. It’s been around for years. Whilst some people attribute it to Dr Phil Daniels (a psychology professor) I remember seeing things similar to this back in the 1980s. No matter; the important thing is that it works.
One final thing on this exercise. Not only is it timely to dust off the wheel of fortune, it’s also a great time to think about your job overall. Are you happy? Is this where you want to be? Do you enjoy it? Is it working? Because if not, and you’re in a rut, then (provided it’s not just a “I’m knackered and need a break” moment) it could be time in 2024 to find something new. I’m a strong believer that better work leads to a better life. So ask yourself that tough question and take steps to find the right answer. We each deserve a job that we enjoy; a job that brings out the best in us.
In the meantime, spin the wheel and see where you land.
