Have an amazing year by reviewing the past

As the year draws to a close, I always set aside time to reflect on my achievements, challenges, and growth over the past year. Looking back provides valuable insights and serves as my foundation for planning and setting goals for the year ahead. I want to share key steps that women leaders can take to effectively evaluate their progress and create a roadmap for future success.

A great way to start is by celebrating your achievements from the past year. Take stock of the goals you set and assess how far you have come in achieving them. Recognize the milestones you reached, the projects you successfully completed, and the positive impact you made. If it is difficult for you to do you may need to enlist help from friends or coworkers. Celebrating your accomplishments boosts morale and helps you gain a clearer perspective on your strengths and areas of expertise. Think of it like prepping for an annual review with yourself!

Every year brings challenges reflect on the ones you faced throughout the past. Identify obstacles you encountered and think about how you overcame them. What lessons have you learned from these experiences? How have they contributed to your personal and professional growth? If you understand the challenges you faced you are enabled to develop strategies to overcome similar hurdles in the future or even prevent them, maybe even next year.

Your personal and professional development is also important to assess. What skills have you acquired or improved upon, did you attend training programs, what feedback positive and negative have you received. Think about how these experiences have enhanced your leadership abilities and identify areas where further development is needed. Use this information to prioritize your growth areas for the upcoming year.

Review the goals you set at the beginning of the year. How did you do? Where were you successful and where did you fall short? What got in the way of reaching them? Did your goals change? Set new goals that align with your vision and aspirations for the future. As always be sure your goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) to increase your chances of success.

As I said above there are times we need an external perspective, ask for feedback from trusted mentors, colleagues, team members and friends. “What do you come to me for? What are my biggest strengths?” Often hearing others insights helps us see things about ourselves that are hard to admit. Many women could use practice on promoting themselves and others can provide valuable input on your performance, strengths, and areas for improvement.

With your goals in mind, create a detailed action plan for the upcoming year. Break down your goals into smaller, manageable tasks and assign timelines to each. Prioritize your actions based on their importance and urgency. Ask yourself what will keep me from doing this and try to create plans to eliminate the blocks. Remember to be flexible and adaptable as circumstances may change throughout the year. Take time to review and adjust your action plan to stay on track and ensure progress towards your goals.

Reflecting on the past year is an essential practice for women leaders to plan for the future. By celebrating accomplishments, evaluating challenges, assessing personal and professional development, reviewing goals, seeking feedback, and creating an action plan, women leaders can set themselves up for success in the year ahead. Remember, this process is not only about setting goals but also about knowing yourself and continuous growth and improvement. Embrace the opportunity to learn from the past and pave the way for a successful future as a strong and empowered leader