2022 a year in review?

It’s that time of year…

Are you reviewing or already looking forward?

Some thoughts on why you need to look back to look forward….

While many are gearing up to the holiday season, winding down, attending Christmas parties (do people still do work Xmas parties or is that so 2000s??) many of us are already starting our new year so to speak.

Have you ever been here…

… where January 1^st rolls around and only then do you start putting some thought into what it is that you really want to work on in the new year?

And before you know it, you already feel behind the 8 ball, because, well, those first few days of your crisp new planner are already blank… you already missed the start of the first new week of the first new month, and well, it just doesn’t’ seem worth it to hustle to catch up … before you even started.

So, you mentally put everything into holding mode/back burner mode again.. and think I’ll start that next year?

I know… I’ve been there (no judgment here).

But what if…

There was a better way?

That instead of arriving in January 1^st or 2^nd or the first Monday in January you nominate as your start date, that instead of showing up and already feeling behind that you showed up full of confidence that your plans were already rolling out, that you knew what direction you were heading in the year and that you already had list of your top tasks to start hitting right out of the gate?

Imagine having the clarity and the confidence of knowing that your goals were entirely achievable.

No overwhelm, no confusion, no ‘hangover’ from the past (year or otherwise).

That you were recharged, because instead of spending your Holidays planning, you already had a solid plan in place and had the peace of mind that the new year was taken care of and that all those ideas chasing themselves around in your mind had been written down and scheduled, so you could start the new year right?

THAT is what I am talking about!

This takes time, planning and mental space BEFORE hand.

It means looking back to look forward.

It means, taking, no… MAKING the time in December (right now) when others are winding down and letting the end of the year drift past them to take massive decisive action on what you want to spend your time on in the new year.

So here’s a plan:

STEP 1. REVIEW

You have heard it here before, I am a BIG fan of reviewing… It’s built into my design process (more on that HERE) and also into smaller processes I have in place for organizing and storing my photos and creative ideas (more on that HERE).

It’s also a big part of my ‘Visual Inventory’ >> check this post out if you are curious.

These in-built reviews systems are critical to resetting the compass, really working out what is working for you and what you can let go of.

I recommend always building in a review phase to any kind of project you are working on – including but not limited to….

your latest quilt:

REVIEW! What did you learn? New skills, mistakes you made and want to avoid next time? Did you learn something new about yourself as a quilter, or a designer?

Did you take the time to celebrate you latest creation, take photos, record it on a tracker (you can get a copy of mine here), or even record who you gave it to , so next time you want to give them something you’re not stuck thinking ‘ did I give them a quilt LAST Christmas=???)

your latest quilt pattern:

What worked? What could you do differently  next time?

Did you change something about your quilt pattern writing process? Did you find a better workflow? Update your records to reflect this, or at a very minimum, write yourself a giant post it note reminder to do/not do X next time.

These after action reviews are common in more structured ‘day jobs’, across engineering or the corporate world.

Give yourself the gift of perspective.

While looking back may sound counter-intuitive because you want to be push forward, and have your eye on the prize, it is critical to get a grasp of where you are and the places you have come from before you push forward.

(Looking for Step 2? Stay tuned for next week’s post…)

Look BACK and see what you dd, what you achieved, what worked for you this year, what can you change that will make the next year an improvement on the last and not a repeat of the same cluster f*cks that you want to avoid this time around.

James Clear, sage beyond his years author of Atomic Habits talks about a bi-yearly review – one at end of year to look aback on his goals achieved and one around July to assess his life trajectory and his more personal directions, aspirations, human development.

Not a bad strategy I’d say…

My personal review journey + key questions

I am also in the thick of an intensive review of this past year. It has been a year of massive learning, massive growth (in my business and personally). I am in a state of evolution, and I want to not only capture and recognize the leaps I have taken, but also make sure that the parts I was unable to hit, or that I don’t want to repeat next year are re-designed or removed.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you in a review. Use these for a small project, your creative business, or your whole year.

1. What have I achieved this year? (think big and small)
2. What went well?
3. What could I do differently?

When you think about these questions, you’ll realize the power of tracking your habits or actions through the year.

tap your resources

If you keep a planner, or a journal, or even your google calendar, scroll back and remind yourself of some of the highlights, deadlines, projects…

Your photos are also a great way to review your year.

I create family albums each year and I am always surprised at the moments I have forgotten from throughout the year. These albums are a warts and all kind of look at things – not just the shiny posed family photos… It’s helps to remind you of the realness of life, those moments where not everyone was smiling, or the times where there was so much joy the camera lens nearly cracked. Or even just the peaceful moments. A cup of tea in the morning light. Crackling leave underfoot in the park.

It’s not about letting nostalgia take hold, more about a system to remind yourself of what happened.

This might trigger you to remember feelings, emotions, that you might want to repeat, or that you would prefer to avoid repeating…

Again… What worked? What could you do differently?

There is a LOT of information out there about productivity and planning and goal setting.

By all means dive in (I know I have been lately – Michael Hyatt I’m looking at you!!), but ultimately the best kind of review or reviews system for you is one that is easy for you to get into, get excited about and the one that will motivate you to start the next vital step, which is to LOOK FORWARD.

(That’s STEP 2 – stay tuned for next week…)

Only by understanding this review and this review process can we start from a point of knowledge, of understanding ,of data points about what worked and what we can do differently the next time around.

Starting here gives you clarity on what you want to keep doing and what you no longer want to keep doing.

Think big. Think outside the box.

What are some things that you ALWAYS do? Have you started doing these automatically?

This is another DYNAMITE question for working out whether it is in your interest to continue with your current projects. I have seen a proliferation lately of new books/podcast episodes on ‘knowing when it is the right time to quit’.

Amy Porterfield is a great example, or Annie Duke’s new book.

Sometimes quitting IS the right answer.

Sometimes cutting something out that you think you ought to be doing, or that you that you have ALWAYS done is the right answer.

But, how do you know unless you have asked yourself? What works? What can I do differently?

So, there you have it…

A bit about what I am thinking as 2022 becomes a year in review. I hope this journal entry has got you thinking about the best way to make the most of this last ‘limbo’ part of the year.

There is still work to be done my friend, and still time to use that reflective energy bouncing around right now to take stock of your year, and really get clarity on what you want to be intentional about next year.

I’d love to know what you do to review. Leave me a comment below and let me know, how do you review your year?