The holidays are a hectic time but they are also a perfect occasion to engage in a bit of quiet reflection, to evaluate what has been and identify what’s most important to focus on in the new year.

I use this simple yet incredibly powerful exercise, which I invite you to try too.

As a leader, you can do it with your team; you will see that it opens up opportunities for a meaningful conversation.

You can also do it for yourself, in the company of family and friends. My kids grumble when I ask them to do this with me, and yet it always turns into a fun discussion which hopefully stays with them throughout the year.

REVIEWING 2023:

• What are your proudest accomplishments from 2023?
• How will you acknowledge those achievements?
• What was most challenging for you?
• What did you not address that you intended to do?  Are those things still important to you? If so, how can you address them moving forward?
• What did you learn about yourself and your world this past year?
• Are there things from 2023 you are want to leave in the past year?

PREPARING FOR 2024:

• Pick a word that describes how you want to be in 2024.
• What lessons from 2023 do you want to carry forward in the new year?
• Define a key professional and personal goal to stretch yourself in the coming year: The professional goal can be different from what you would define with your boss on the job. For example, you might consider a “being” instead of “doing” goal, like: “I want to be more empathic or a better listener.” For the personal goal: what would make you most proud and happy at this time next year when you look back and confirm you have done it?
• How will you make 2024 a great year? Define a few new patterns you want to embrace to keep yourself focused on your intentions and goals.

I am sending you tons of love for a wonderful holiday season and a bright new year.