Yearly Review: Fails & Wins

Don't get me wrong, I love a win as much as the next person but I learn a lot from my failures; perhaps because I study the missteps in more depth than the successes? Possibly, but I like to think it's because I've learned that mistakes aren't what define us, it's how we deal with them that does. This realization alone has been a huge win for me. I no longer fear failure, I relish it.

During my yearly review, it is important for me to see where my energies and efforts lay during the year and the progress made and not made. My calendar is where I find a lot of this information. As I have said it the past, if you want to know where your priorities lie, look no further than your calendar. You spend time on things that are important to you.

As I look over my calendar, these are some of the things that I check for and evaluate ... always asking myself: Could I have done better?

• How much time and effort did I putting into different work projects, both the successful ones and the misses? Are there patterns to be seen in terms of types of projects that worked better than others and the collaboration of the teams themselves?

• Did I managing the relationships with and within my teams well? Did they receive the guidance they needed from me to ensure their success within the team and with their colleagues and the clients?

• Did I focus my professional and personal development on skills that helped move me and my teams forward?

• Did I devote enough time to my mental and physical health, ie gym, meditation, journalling, etc.

The goal of my yearly review is to give me the information and data I need to make the improvements and changes that will empower me and those around me in the coming year.

Take the time to review the year to help you plan for 2019. Manage your life and career before someone else manages them for you.