Have you ever done an exit interview after leaving a job? True exit interviews tend to be more helpful for the company, but the employee who’s moving on might also find some value in the experience. Being compelled to reflect on the past can give you some sharp clarity about what you want in the future.
If you’re self-employed, you’re not going to have things like performance reviews and exit interviews built into your work life. So sometimes, you need to create those opportunities for yourself. Otherwise you’ll probably stay so focused on looking ahead at what’s next for your business that you might never take the time to look back and really assess where you are.
The end of the year is the perfect time to make yourself do this kind of self-reflective work. You can slow down, assess the past year as a whole, and take the time to really notice and process the lessons you learned.
The assessments you make now can boost your time management and make next year even more productive in a lot of ways. Better time management means more time for all the things that are most important to you. And that means you’ll be able to enjoy your life and feel like you’re in control of things—no matter what kind of craziness the outside world throws at you next year.
9 Questions to Ask Yourself Now to Prepare for a Productive, Peaceful New Year
1. What did I enjoy most about my work this year?
Where did you find joy in work this year? Were there specific clients or projects that were especially exciting to work on? New opportunities that were challenging but gratifying? Notice the kinds of work and experiences you really enjoyed so you can be intentional about prioritizing those things next year.
2. What did I enjoy most in my life on the personal side this year?
Thinking about how your spent your non-work time over the past year, where did you find joy in your personal life? What goes on the highlight reel of favorite moments or experiences you enjoyed with your loved ones, or by yourself?
3. How well did my time management strategies work this past year?
Unless you’re superhuman, there were definitely moments (or entire months!) when you struggled with being productive and managing your time this year. As you cast your mind back, notice any recurring issues or time management challenges that you struggled with again and again. When things got really busy, did you feel like you were able to prioritize and take action—or did you often get stuck in a place of total overwhelm?
4. Were there any big goals I fell short of this year?
Maybe your goals and priorities evolved over the year, or a personal crisis threw you off course. No worries, but it’s worth checking back in on those goals to see if there’s anything you want to keep working toward in the coming year.
5. Are there things I want to become more committed to next year? Are there things I want to start letting go of?
There might be causes you want to become more involved in, or volunteer commitments you want to start pulling back from. Relationships you want to strengthen, or relationships that aren’t working for you. Parts of your business that you want to go all-in on in the new year, or parts of your business that you want to spend less time on.
6. What mistakes did I make this year that I don’t want to repeat?
Hey, no one’s perfect. Painful though it may be, reflecting on your bad judgment calls, organizational oversights, and other mistakes can be both cathartic and productive. Take stock of them now to make sure you’ve internalized the lessons you learned from your mistakes; then let the regrets go and move forward.
7. What skills do I want to develop and/or sharpen?
Make sure you’re thinking about both soft skills and hard skills. If you’re stumped, think about recent times when you’ve thought, “I really wish I knew how to [X]” or “This would be easier if I was better at [Y].”
8. What do I want more help with?
Notice the use of “want” rather than “need.” Accepting help can be hard for a lot of people, especially when you’re a competent professional who feels like you should be able to handle everything yourself. If you’re someone who feels guilty or just weird asking for help, you can easily justify yourself out of “needing” help. “Sure, I’m overwhelmed by this project, but I can just skip more sleep and get it done.” Or, “I know I have limited bandwidth right now, but I shouldn’t need to hire a weekly house cleaner when I’m capable of cleaning it myself.” Forget that pressure and just let yourself think about places where you’d like more help.
9. What could you achieve next year if you were able to be your best self and work at peak productivity?
Think about stretch goals! What if next year isn’t just good, but productive and great for your business? How lucrative could the year be if you’re able to bring your A game to work every day? What would taking your business to “the next level” really look like? Give yourself permission to daydream about what the best version of your life and your business look like. Let that motivation sustain you through bad days, time management problems, and other daily challenges.
Get the Time Management Support You Need to Make Next Year Your Best Year Yet.
I’m here to help you navigate the overwhelm, time pressure, and endless to-do lists so you can take control of your time and make next year your most productive and successful one yet for your business. One way I’m offering support right now is by granting free access to my upcoming webinars:
Attorneys, How to Supercharge Your 2025 with Ease for Attorneys will provide you with the time management strategies you need to kick off the year strong. Get access here.
Realtors, How to Supercharge Your 2025 with Ease for Realtors is designed to help you make 2025 your most productive year yet. Click here to sign up.
Let’s make 2025 your most productive year yet. I’m here to support you every step of the way.
Happy New Year!
Sarah
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