"I got so many things done and so much of this year didn't go as planned." This was the predominant thought I had as I completed the first step in my annual planning process - evaluating the past year.
I wonder how many other people feel that way about 2024?
And is that really any different than years past?
I mean, there are plans. Then there's life.
Things happen that shift our trajectory regardless of how well we plan. Like a global pandemic, cancer, losing a loved one, changes in the marketplace, tech failures, new tech advancements (looking at you AI), natural disasters (OMG, our hearts are with you), businesses closing down, a baby born pre-maturely - I could go on.
Before I engaged in the evaluation process I mostly fixated on the parts of the year that didn't go as planned with a mild distaste for 2024.
But I've been here before. Shaking my fist at the passing of time not matching my expectations of what I should have accomplished. It's not a pretty look. It's not even productive.
Feel it all.
Sure, it's ok to feel frustrated or disappointed or let down or upset or bummed out or ready for the New Year or wishing to stop time to avoid said New Year.
But remember, your feelings aren't a complete picture of your reality. They are but a single signal our body uses to get our attention. Our feelings are based on past experiences and our brains wiring to predict the future to preserve and protect ourselves (hello can of worms we aren't going to open right now).
Take time to reflect.
This is why it's so helpful to gather data. To look back at your life and work for the past year (or beyond) and take stock. To reflect on questions like:
What did you accomplish?
What worked well?
What didn't work well?
What did you learn?
This practice of guided reflection, reviewing what we did objectively and subjectively, quantitatively and qualitatively, puts things into perspective. And moreover, gives us our power back.
Getting valuable perspective is our foundation to thrive.
Instead of lamenting about how things didn't go exactly as planned, we can look at our lives and work wholistically. We build our resilience by recognizing how far we have come. By acknowledging that we are getting through those unexpected things that came up, even if we don't like them or wished they never happened.
And, what's more, we have valuable evidence for refining our plans for 2025. We have necessary information that enables us to foster conditions where we can thrive.
When looking back at 2024, I see that it took me almost 6 months to go through the steps of getting my business ready for government contracting. Those 6 months involved countless hours of backend work like creating a capability statement, getting registered on sam.gov, applying for Woman Owned Small Business Certification (just submitted last week), honing my skills reading RFP's, nurturing relationships in the public sector (thank you for your service).
Plan to show yourself some grace.
I didn't know what I didn't know when I started to embark on this journey to provide services to governmental agencies in 2024. So my plans reflected that lack of knowledge. But now I know so much more, I can be better prepared for 2025. And with more of the foundational work out of the way, I can focus on other aspects of business development, and community service. I say all this hopefully because I am about to open yet another door full of mysteries in the funhouse of life - grace must be a companion on this ride.
Gotta have output before the outcomes!
If there's one reigning lesson for me in 2024, it's to mind the lag between outputs and outcomes. While I might not have achieved everything I sought out to do in 2024, it's largely because I was aiming for outcomes without taking into account the full breadth and depth of the outputs required to get there. Luckily, I can track a heck of a lot of output for 2024, which shows I'm decidedly enroute.
When crafting a plan that involves a trip into uncharted territory, we are continually coming up against one limitation. We don't know what we don't know. We plan based on what we know at the time. And we modify our plans based on what we learn. The key is to stay engaged in the process of charting our own path forward because that's what makes this life fulfilling - to be true to oneself while earning a living, making meaningful contributions, being in community with others, and growing as a human! There's not a one-size fits all recipe card for that. It's a choose your own adventure way to live, and work.
Do you want to chart your own path for the New Year while learning valuable skills to keep your plan alive? Receive guidance to craft your plan to thrive in a supportive community at the 2025 Annual Planning workshop with me - now offered virtually and in-person. More information and registration is available online.
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