At the end of every year, I love to take some time to myself and really reflect on the past year, celebrate the successes and learning, determine what needs to be redirected for the New Year, and set new dreams and goals.
I received an email from one of my mentors, Jonathan Fields, and thought I couldn’t express the process any better. It’s also great to hear it a little differently sometimes. I am passing this on to all of you. Enjoy!
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
At the end of every year, businesses “close the books.”
What does that mean?
We look back over everything that’s happened in the last 12 months, examine what we took in, what we paid out, what we made and consumed, where each came from and went to.
We look for any areas where the numbers don’t seem to add up, where there’s some kind of aberration or question or anomaly and try to figure out what actually happened. We reconcile the numbers and correct any underlying errors in our systems and, if we can’t fix something, we place a note explaining why.
Then, when we’ve learned what we can learn,
The reason we do this is simple. It forces us to revisit what’s working, what’s not and why on an annual basis. This information gives us an honest look at the health of our business. It reveals things we’ve wanted to avoid seeing and dealing with and highlights the bright lights that we too often ignore in the name of fixing what’s wrong. Then, it makes us reckon with one and revel in the other.
But, more important, when we close the books, we clear the way for us to let go and focus forward. We free up the bandwidth and resources needed to do the work to continue to grow and evolve and create and express in the year to come.
Thing is, this isn’t just about business…
As we head into the final few days of the year, we need to also close the books on a personal level. Similar to business, it’s not about wiping away the past.
It’s about reflecting upon it, owning it — the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, the success and failure, the missteps and power-moves, the losses and wins. It’s about getting honest, seeking understanding, reconciling the who and what and where. It’s about extracting whatever lessons have been offered. Then, doing that one final thing that we rarely ever do. Letting it all go and focusing forward. Stepping into the present and beginning the adventure of the next 12-months.
So, here’s my invitation…
Over the next few days, take some time to breathe. To be quiet. To be away from people and distractions… and technology. Be with your thoughts and emotions and, if possible, a bit of nature.
Then:
- Reflect – Note what went according to plan, what exceeded expectations, what fell short.
- Learn – Ask why each of these outcomes unfolded, and what you can take away from each that will inform how to live and decide and act moving forward.
- Reconcile – If there are any open questions or lingering conflicts, ask what you can do to answer or resolve them, then do what’s needed to make this happen.
- Let go – Give yourself permission to release the weight of your perceived failures, misses or weaknesses. And, also, let go of the glory of your wins. They are all yours to own, but once you’ve done the work of the above three steps, to dwell in either
disconnects you from the grace of the moment and the potential of the days, months and years to come. There is no utility in living ina past you can neither change or reclaim. - Refocus – Ask yourself what matters most in the year to come, then begin the process of committing to specific outcomes and the actions it will take the make them manifest.
I know this will take a bit of work. But, the freedom it will create as you step into the year ahead will be worth the effort.
By Jonathan Fields
PS: Jonathan also has a rockin’ podcast that you will want to check out on his website.