The Power of Intentional Year-End Reflection

"Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us."

— Hal Borland

December is upon us.

The month when we simultaneously sprint to the finish line while attempting to keep calm and warp up Q4 projects amid the festive season preparations.

But it doesn't always have to be a stressful time. Making space for reflection is an act of nurturing self-care to bring balance amidst the holiday frenzy.

Intentional reflection isn't just about looking back—it's about acknowledging your progress and then, with clarity and focus, resetting for a productive 2025.

Now, before writing further, here's an important disclaimer:

All my content is written from the perspective of a Black, ambitious woman. Born and raised in Kenya and living in Germany for more than 25 years, my personal and professional intercultural experiences have influenced and shaped how I see and approach things.

So why the disclaimer?

It's simple: Some people will not resonate with my perspectives, and that's normal. Even I wouldn't have resonated with them a few years ago. For example, if you believe in "crushing it" and always being in a competitive "higher, faster, further" mode, that's fine. More power to you, but this is probably not the post for you. No hard feelings if you click away; we all have valid perspectives, and I can respect yours while I share mine.

Experience has taught me that prioritizing work over well-being is neither healthy nor sustainable.

So, if you're open to holistic personal development concepts for ambitious people and professionals who don't want to sacrifice their relationships and health at the altar of "success," read on...

As an African immigrant navigating life and business in Europe, the intersection between healthy high performance and well-being is a fascinating one I've been enjoying. That's why, when I alighted the hustle-and-grind-toxic-productivity train, I also unsubscribed from the Finish The Year Strong mindset.

Nowadays, finishing the year with ease feels better

However, if you're team Finish The Year Strong, YAY you! I'm genuinely cheering you on - from the sidelines.

Because here's the thing: many of us over-functioners and go-getters have been going strong for the whole year. Maybe even for decades! Way beyond our nervous system's window of tolerance.

If you're an immigrant or BIPOC, you know about "twice as hard." *sigh* But irrespective of your race/background, being a driven overachiever while neglecting wellness is not sustainable. It's counterproductive self-sabotage. Hello, burnout?!

These days, I'm leaning into the concept of more grace and less grind.

As we approach the end of the year, how about we opt to slow things down intentionally? Taking a little time to pause, reflect, and assess where you've been and where you're headed can be transformative and productive.

I have an assessment tool that I use in my signature G.O.A.L.S coaching methodology. I invite you to consider it as part of your 2024 recap.

A Simple 3-Step Framework for Intentional Year-End Reflection:

1️⃣ What worked?

Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. Seriously. A mirror high-five is a thing.

What went well? Even if it’s as small as taming your inbox, it counts. What strategies, habits, or decisions brought you closer to your goals? Give yourself the gift of intentionally celebrating ALL your wins—the ones that mean something to you. Big, small, or micro, your wins are personal; let's not judge ourselves based on social media highlight reels, peer pressure, or internalized capitalism.

I mean, you made it this far, and that IS worth celebrating in my books! Sometimes, we take the small wins in life, peace of mind, like healthy relationships, getting up, and keeping on when we feel like quitting, and health for granted. Life be lifing out here, and it isn't always smooth sailing. Hasn't been since 2020... If you started, attempted, or mastered something, celebrate the heck out of it and validate your efforts and progress.

For me, it's traveling and launching a LinkedIn newsletter as a strategic experiment with my content. I muted all other platforms and want to see how minimal social media for a season works out.

2️⃣ What didn’t?

Okay, my guess is, like most of us, you also had a few “learning opportunities” (I like to call failure feedback).

Maybe that promotion didn’t pan out, or you realized multitasking on Zoom is...not your thing. You set big, hairy goals and barely, if at all, attained them. You started something, and it flopped after all the hard work. I feel you; it happens to billions around the globe, so welcome to the club of failing forward; it means you attempted to expand your comfort zone, and that takes courage. It sucks when things don't work; grieving our losses helps, but...

No hash judgment here. Just growth lessons we can carry forward.

Personally, I realized writing fresh newsletter content was challenging when I was on the road. Because I didn't plan ahead and auto-schedule, I failed to keep the bi-weekly publishing cycle. Oops. I forgave myself for not meeting my expectations and those of my readers and did some multimedia repurposing; whew, technology to the rescue.

In my G.O.A.L.S framework, G stands for Growth, which often comes from navigating challenges. Identify what didn’t go as planned, and ask yourself why in a curious and compassionate way.

What lessons can you take forward?

3️⃣ What’s next?

I feel like this is where the personal development happens.

With clarity from what worked (and what didn’t), you can recalibrate. Whether it’s career changes, business pivoting strategies, or just finally remembering to schedule those “me time” breaks, with the lessons we learn, we can design a different reality.

One thing I'll be doing is implementing the content marketing strategies I teach brands at Naga Digital, such as mapping out and scheduling using a planner or delegation. I need to practice what I preach with my newsletter. So, if you're interested in a class on content scheduling, join my email subscriber community for the Live training details in January.

Intentional reflection isn’t just about looking back—it’s about acknowledging your progress and, with clarity, setting yourself up to pivot into a purposeful and productive year ahead.

And there you have it: 3 simple self-awareness questions you can ask yourself concerning your personal and professional progress in 2024. Over to you, I'm curious: how do you do your year-end reviews? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

P.S. I appreciate you being here today and wish to extend a special invitation to you. Join me on an upcoming interactive Year-End webinar on 28/12 at 6 PM CET. Feel free to check out the details here or click the image below.

I'd be happy to see you over a virtual drink at the event.

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