For a number of years now, I've been doing a personal review during the first week of December.
When I first started, it felt too much like a work appraisal, so it's now turned into a general time to reflect on the year, and to decide on what went well to take forward into the new year.
Looking back at my notes from December 2019, I'd hoped to have had a holiday in the spring, gotten out and about more with my Mum, returned to martial arts training and spent more time with my best friend (amongst other projects). However, 2020 had other ideas...
Whilst the year hasn't matched quite a few of my plans or expectations, I'm still feeling positive and proud of myself, and will be sitting down this weekend to make my notes. As the last couple of years have been challenging, 2020 has helped me better understand how important rest and recovery is for my health, and ultimately how that positively affects my loved ones as well.
Do you do a review like this at the end of the year?
And as always on Fridays, please feel free to discuss anything organiser related, and I hope that you have a great weekend.
Hi Anita - I always carry out a review of the year, between Christmas and New Year, before setting work and personal goals for the year ahead. I then break those down into quarterly goals and then further split into monthly aims and reviews as the year goes on. This method is from Time Manager's (TMI) "elephant task" principal. This advocates that a huge project (a metaphorical "elephant") can only be achieved by breaking it down into "bit size chunks". For several years, I've used Ray Blake's monthly planner insert - currently adjusted to Pocket size pages.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure 2020 has been much of a mixed bag for everyone. For y wife and I, it didn't start well with my wife having to go for Chemotherapy. At the start of the year, I was running two companies, and I needed to sell one. Luckily I managed to sell the publishing business in February. Then lockdown happened. I went from managing two businesses to not having to work on any because we just stopped trading.
ReplyDeleteFrom the 10th of May, I had to start and rebuild our business again. It has taken me seven months to rebuild the company to where it was two years ago. In between, we have managed to take a short break to Somerset, which I have to say, is a lovely county.
2020 is the year for me that I have been able to look after my wife. In an average year, people may have been less reluctant to trade with me unseen or not sell over the phone or by email. Lockdown has changed all that. Probably for good.
In December, I have been digging down on the numbers re-organising my organiser to make it more of a working tool for information I can recall when needed. I'm utilising old Filofax's for storage of past ideas and knowledge I don't need to file anymore, reducing my current organiser by fifty per cent. I've been hand designing templates on paper with a fine pen like I used to do in the 1980s and I have found it more rewarding. The benefit of writing is that you can add a bit of missing information on the reverse side of the paper or jot something in the margins. Organisers are always work in progress and thought-provoking.
In the new year, Debbie and I are looking forward to seeing our niece getting married in Croatia in May. We are looking forward to visiting more National Heritage sites (it must be an age thing) I've lived near Hadrian's Wall all of my life, this year I thought I should go and visit it.
Going back to an organiser eighteen months ago has been an excellent head clearer. In 2020, I could not have got through this year without it. Going into 2021, I couldn't be more prepared.
Wishing you all the very best in 2021
Jeremy.
Hi Jeremy, just had to say, greetings from sunny Ilminster in Somerset, well, sunny today anyway!! Thrilled you both took a shine to the county, there is a lot here to see, much on a small, approachable and charming scale too I find, but that is a generalization I know. Hope your wife is on the road to healing and is resting on up after chemo, especially given these Covid 19 times. I have loads of travel ideas in my Filofax for a time when that will be possible again. More of a dreamofax at the moment really!!! Warmest wishes. Jane.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jane. I hope your travel plans all come to fruition. Debbie is coping pretty well. We loved Somerset. We stayed near Dunster. Dunster village was just our cuppa tea.
DeleteI'm glad you like it!
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