This time of year is all about celebrating – beginning with Thanksgiving and ending with New Years, our lives are full of parties, events, and family gatherings. It is also time to wrap up the current year and transition our focus to the year ahead.

Celebrating Success

Alongside the usual year-end tasks of completing projects and assessing performance and results, this a great time to reflect on and celebrate successes that occurred throughout the year. In addition to the typical focus on business success, I encourage you to take stock of your personal success as a leader.

Consider the following:

• What achievements are you most proud this year?
• What new relationships have you developed?
• What existing relationships have you nourished?
• What fences did you mend?
• Whose lives have you impacted most positively?
• What fear(s) did you overcome?
• What risks did you take?
• What necessary endings did you undertake?
• What else belongs on this list?

Take a moment to revel in what you’ve accomplished!

Anticipating the Future

Similarly, in addition to the usual planning, budgeting, and resourcing tasks that accompany the beginning of a new year, give some thought to how you want to be as a leader in 2018:

• What will make 2018 a success for you? How will you know?
• Who do you want to connect with?
• Who do you want to become better acquainted with?
• What strained relationships do you wish to improve?
• Who do you want to mentor and develop?
• What is one thing you would do if you had no fear?
• Where will you push yourself out of your comfort zone?
• What is one thing you will stop doing in the new year? What is one thing you will start doing?

I encourage you to jot down your thoughts in response to these questions and, when this time rolls around again next year, you will have a place to start when celebrating your success! For added accountability, email me your list.

Happy Holidays to you and yours and best wishes for a fabulous 2018!