2019 has been a rollercoaster of a year, and it’s all coming to an end soon. As you know, the end of the year is a great time to reflect and take into account, all that ensued within the year in terms of your career- the highs, lows, accomplishments, losses and everything else.
Taking some time to reflect on your career during the year helps you note your mistakes and your good moments- offering fresh insights to keep you on track next year. After all, 2020 seems to be the golden year everyone’s looking forward to.
Here are some things you should reflect on:
Your Goals
Did you set out goals for the year? (Getting a promotion, starting a side job, learning a new skill, etc.). If you did, it’s essential to review each goal and see how far you’ve come. You should also note if you need to change or revise your goals based on certain developments. If you haven’t achieved most of your goals, there’s no need to beat yourself up. Write down action plans on how to make them in the coming year.
Your Accomplishments
What were you able to accomplish during the year? What was the most notable of your accomplishments? You should take this into account and also note the steps you took to gain these accomplishments. This will help to guide you so you can accomplish even more in 2020.
Your Challenges
What were the most significant challenges and obstacles you encountered this year, and how were you able to scale them (if you were able to)? How have you been able to cross certain hurdles you faced this year? If you face such challenges next year, do you have what it takes to overcome them? You should take some time to reflect on this.
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Your Level of Satisfaction
Another critical thing to reflect on is your level of satisfaction in your career. Are you happy and fulfilled with where you are right now? Do you enjoy what you do, or are you hoping for something bigger and better? Are you satisfied with how well you were able to perform this year in spite of specific challenges and difficulties? These are questions you should ask yourself to gain some clarity. If you aren’t satisfied, you should have an action plan to guide you on the next steps you should take to reach your desired level. You should also take some time to focus on the parts of your job you enjoy. No one has it perfect, so it’s essential to focus on the positive aspects.
The Lessons You Learned
You might have made some mistakes that taught you specific lessons. What was the biggest lesson you learnt this year, in terms of your career? Did you try something new? If you took certain risks, how did they turn out? Take account of these lessons and learnings so they can give you some insight for the next year. It’s important to know that risks and failures are part of your career growth. You should ensure that you take certain calculated risks and experiments that will ensure that you grow and learn both personally and professionally. Most of the most prominent CEOs and notable figures in the corporate world took risks and made missteps along the way that helped to shape and mould them to become who they are today.
Your Personal and Professional Development
This is another critical factor you should take into consideration. Are you growing personally and professionally? How would you describe and assess your growth trajectory? Did you learn new skills, take new courses or acquire new qualifications? Once you make this assessment, you should highlight your next steps: you could decide to get certified, learn a new course, join an organization, acquire some new skills or even go back to school for your Masters or Doctorate Degree! In terms of your personal development, you should work on specific intrapersonal skills, attitudes, communication, emotional intelligence, self-discipline and more. It’s essential to keep growing and developing.
Your Network
Were you able to grow, build and maintain relationships and connections this year? Are you intentionally and purposefully making new connections, fostering new relationships, expanding and diversifying your network? These are vital questions to ask yourself. It’s imperative to continually build and grow a network of professionals in and beyond your field, who can help you grow and connect you to life-changing opportunities.
Your Plans and Next Steps
It’s time to visualize and conceive your desired future. Questions to ask yourself: What do I want to achieve next year? What does my ideal career look like? What are my plans for the future? What could stand as a hindrance? After doing this, you should take note of what you need to do to answer these questions by planning your next steps. Plan your career trajectory by putting specific plans in motion. You might need to apply for a new job or find out how to position yourself for your next step.
While reflecting and reviewing your career, it’s essential to be genuine, candid and brutally honest. However, don’t be so hard on yourself if you haven’t done so well. Life is in phases, and there are always opportunities to grow, learn and improve. You’ve got this!
How would you grade your career performance this year? Tell us, would you? ??
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