Planning with Purpose (Part 1): Learning from the Past
When it comes to life and leadership, I truly believe that looking back is usually a hindrance. So often, when you look back, you get stuck in the past you cannot move forward with any sense of purpose. That being said, I also know that there is a way to look back in service of moving forward. There is a way to take stock of whatever lies behind you, in service of what lies ahead. This is especially useful to know as you stand on the brink of something new, in this case, a new year (yes, 2020 is literally just weeks away).
The process of looking back effectively is a simple one, and goes as follows (helpful tip: have some note paper or a journal handy for taking notes):
To begin, stand in gratitude. As you look at the past 12 months, what will you give thanks for? What experiences did you have? What surprises did you enjoy? Create a gratitude list, and try to come up with a list of at least 24 items, 2 for each month. Revel in what you’ve noted.
Now, shift your focus ever-so-slightly and ask, what was your most enjoyable moment? What did you glean from that particular experience?
Shift yet again: what was your most powerful learning? What made it so?
Shift again: what was your biggest disappointment? What did you learn from that?
On a scale of 1-10 (1 = not at all, 10 = completely), answer this: how well did you accomplish what you set out to accomplish at the start of the year?
One more shift: who are you now, today, relative to who you were when you started 2019? (Rest assured, you are not the exact same person!). How are you different? What do you know now, that you didn’t know then?
The answers to all of these questions provide a constructive, useful framework for reflecting on the year that has passed. Notice that none of these questions are about berating yourself. Instead, these are about learning and, more specifically, learning in service of your own growth and becoming who you’re meant to be.
Taking the time to answer these questions will better prepare you to plan for the year ahead.
Bottom-line: planning can be an exciting process, and at the same time, planning without reflection is never as powerful as it could otherwise be. As you stand on the cusp of 2019/2020, give yourself the gift of these questions. Ask them of yourself and really sit with the answers. Then, you’ll be ready to launch the year ahead like you’ve never done before.