On Reflection: The Annual Review

Every so often I like to take time to reflect on my life. Figuring out where I’ve been, the actions that I’ve taken, and measuring my actions against the version of myself that I want to be.

It’s too easy to get caught up in the fervor of the day-to-day. A few too many days go by and it’s easy to lose track of our original intentions.

The best way to stay on track is to take time to reflect. Something that can be done as frequently as monthly, weekly, or even daily. The goal is to keep ourselves aligned with the version of ourselves we want to be, ultimately realizing that staying the course will help us to lead the most fulfilling and least regrettable lives. So in the end, when we look back, we can say that we wouldn’t change a single thing.

I started this review a while back and have adapted it along the way, but I like to take time to analyze the five broad areas of life that I focus on at large and ask myself a few questions for each. I also take the time to rank how I feel about each area on a scale of 1 to 5. Something that seems silly, I know, but that I can say is rather powerful, particularly when you can look back on past reviews, years back, and see the progress made.
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The five areas of life that I like to reflect on and measure are

• Health - Fitness, Diet, Mental health, Etc…
• Wealth - Savings, Investing, Spending, Etc…
• Relationships - Romantic, Family, Friendships, Etc…
• Work - Career, Passion, Growth, Etc…
• Mind - Reading, Learning, Creativity, Etc…
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The Questions I like to ask myself

• Did I accomplish my goals? How?
• Where did I fall short of my goals? Why?
• What are my goals for next year? Why?
• How am I going to achieve those goals? What specific steps am I going to take?

In one of my journal entries from a couple of years ago I measured my Relationships at a 0/5. I was single, not seeing anyone, and not making as much time for social relationships and friendships as I would have liked.

This year, a totally different story. I am engaged to be married to my best friend in 2024. I have wonderful friendships and my score in this area of my life couldn’t be any different from what it was several years ago.

Reflecting on where I was at that time, I was able to acknowledge how and what I wanted to improve in that space. Less than two years later I am engaged to be married. Surely not as a byproduct of the journal entry, but it is a helpful way to check in and see the areas we are succeeding, failing, and want to improve.

The annual review is a great way to align your actions with your goals. Checking in with yourself and your values and honestly evaluating if you are living up to your own standards.

The wonderful thing about the annual review is you can make it entirely your own. This is what works for me, but what other areas of life would you include in your own annual review? What questions might you ask yourself?

Here’s to a reflective 2023 and a better 2024!

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As always, thank you for reading, I hope you have a great week.

Gratefully Yours,

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113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA, 98104-2205
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