Around New Year’s, you may have been asked, “So, how was your year?”
And if you’re like me, you feel compelled to sum it up in one of three ways:
- “Oh, it was great!”
- “Yup, it was okay.”
- “You know, it kind of sucked.”
But the truth is that every year is filled with every point on the spectrum. Every second didn’t sing; every minute didn’t smell.
Our brains can trick us into remembering only certain elements of our year. Of course, when those are tragedies such as death or serious illness, they stick out.
A few years ago, to help myself remember all the good that happened in a year I might have labeled a sucky one, I created a Year-End Look Back worksheet. I’ve completed it every year since, and it helps me wrap up the year that’s just passed so I can have a clean slate for the year ahead.
You can get your own Year-End Look Back worksheet here.
I’ve shared a few of my answers from this year’s Look-Back worksheet here. Love to hear from you about yours–just email me here, or even better, schedule your complimentary consultation so we can talk about how to get more of what you want from 2019.
My Year-End Look Back for 2018
There are 13 questions on the Year-End Look Back, but here are my answers for a few of the big ones:
The things I’m proudest of this year are . . .
In a professional context, I’m proud of earning my Professional Certified Coach from the International Coach Federation. (That’s the PCC you sometimes see at the end of my name.)
Without nerding out on you, the International Coach Federation (ICF) is the gold standard, not-for-profit international organization monitoring standards and ethical practices for the coaching profession.
To earn your PCC, it takes hundreds of hours of specific training in the art, science, and practice of professional coaching (yes, coaching requires more than just being a good listener.).
Plus, the credential represents over 750 hours of documented coaching with clients (90% of which must be paid for by the client, so you can’t just count conversations over cocktails your friends.) It also requires live testing and long-term work with your own mentor coach.
In a world overrun with people calling themselves “coaches,” there are fewer than 4,000 people in the US who’ve reached this level of professional excellence. I’m proud to be one of them.
PERSONALLY: I’m proud I said “yes” to a too-expensive trip to New York to see “Springsteen on Broadway” live. It was so much more than a concert–an extremely well-written piece of performance art that inspired me to think bigger about my work with words.
The things I’m proud I did NOT do this year are . . .
I’m proud I didn’t chase every possible speaking engagement. Don’t get me wrong–I LOVE coming to your town and speaking to your company or organization. And there are hundreds of great organizations with professionals just like you who I’d love to meet.
But the kind of speaking that I know works best for my audiences isn’t simple. It takes significant time and energy before, during, and after the event. If you’re doing the work right, it is never as simple as just showing up and doing the talk you’ve done 100 times before.
When I go to events, I can easily sniff out the speakers who do that, can’t you?
I don’t want to be that person.
So I decided to invest that energy elsewhere. While it may have cost me more readers and potential clients, it gave me time to try new things.
But know I’m still saying YES to many great people and companies when they call when it works well for both of us. please keep calling! You can schedule a consultation here.
I felt like a hero and wore my red cape this year when I . . .
. . . started something I’d never done before, and launched a local business podcast in my chosen hometown of Bonita Springs, Florida.
It’s called the Bonita Business Podcast and if you’re interested you can find out more and listen to all the episodes here (in addition to Apple Podcasts and other podcast providers).
Here’s the back story, if you’re interested.
For the decade I’ve been in business, I’ve always attracted clients from all over the world. It’s a testament to YOU, my amazing reader, who connects and shares our work here generously.
Four years ago, I decided I wanted to live closer to my family, especially as my Dad’s life was coming to an end. Thankfully, that global community of people who follow me insured that I could continue to do the work I love while still being physically nearer to the people I love.
The community I now live in has been a welcoming and generous one. I’ve quickly discovered opportunities to serve and grow, and along the way, found a smart, professional community of colleagues.
Which got me thinking . . .
To most, Southwest Florida seems only like a vacation and retirement playground. But there’s a lot of great business going on here, and as I noticed it, I wanted to share it. I also wanted to reach more potential readers and clients who are right in my own backyard.
So I just dove in. I started asking colleagues for interviews; they generously said yes, often without knowing what they were getting into. . . 🙂
I won’t waste your time sharing all I’ve learned, albeit to say that if you’re part of my insider community, you may see some private, topic-focused podcasts just for you this year.
But the fact that I had the courage to dive into something that I’d never done, without worrying whether or not it’d be successful (and what is “successful,” anyway?), made me proud.
If I could sum up last year in one final word, it would be . . .
Home.
If I could give myself one word of focus for the upcoming year, it’d be . . .
Plan.
How about you? Get the complete Year-End Look Back worksheet here, free.
And of course, if you’re ready for a great 2019 and want some support getting there, schedule your complimentary coaching consultation now and let’s chat.