Here is an End of the Year/Beginning of the Year assessment that I stole from David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done. I came across this in 2011 and have enjoyed sharing it with people since. I find it a very useful set of questions for evaluating my progress and helping to set goals for the new year. I have updated it for this year. I highly recommend this exercise for any creative person.
Happy New Year!
– Rose O’Keefe
Mr. Allen says:
What have you actually finished, completed, and accomplished? If you haven’t made a list in the last year, I would highly recommend that you give yourself a treat and review the year that just passed and look forward to the year ahead.
When I go through these kinds of questions I like to consider my answers in several areas:
Physical
Emotional
Mental
Spiritual
Financial
Family
Community Service
Fun / creativity / recreation
Completing and remembering last year
Review the list of all completed projects.
What was your biggest triumph in 2012?
What was the smartest decision you made in 2012?
What one word best sums up and describes your 2012 experience?
What was the greatest lesson you learned in 2012?
What was the most loving service you performed in 2012?
What is your biggest piece of unfinished business in 2012?
What are you most happy about completing in 2012?
Who were the three people that had the greatest impact on your life in 2012?
What was the biggest risk you took in 2012?
What was the biggest surprise in 2012?
What important relationship improved the most in 2012?
What compliment would you like to have received in 2012?
What compliment would you like to have given in 2012?
What else do you need to do or say to be complete with 2012?
Creating the new year
What would you like to be your biggest triumph in 2013?
What advice would you like to give yourself in 2013?
What is the major effort you are planning to improve your financial results in 2013?
What would you be most happy about completing in 2013?
What major indulgence are you willing to experience in 2013?
What would you most like to change about yourself in 2013?
What are you looking forward to learning in 2013?
What do you think your biggest risk will be in 2013?
What about your work, are you most committed to changing and improving in 2013?
What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore in 2013?
What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that in 2013?
Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving in 2013?
What one word would you like to have as your theme in 2013?
