Theres something quite special that happens when we reflect on what weve done.
Well, two things, actually.
One is that we gain a better understanding of what weve done or learned.
The other is thatour self-efficacy improvesthat is, our belief in our own abilities.
This post originally appeared on theRescueTime blog.
They also improved their chance of receiving the highest rating for their service by 20%.
It seems we preferdoingtothinking.
If you find it difficult to sit down every week and reflect on your progress, youre not alone.
Now, I enjoy the process and look forward to the exercise.
But to get you going, heres astep-by-step example from author Michael Hyatt.
Review last weeks calendar.Check for any follow-up needed for past events.
Review annual goals.This is where you start looking ahead to the coming week.
Review upcoming weeks calendar.find out if any coming events require preparation and schedule time to get this done.
Review in-progress projects.verify the next step of each project is planned and scheduled.
This is your chance to choose something from that list and schedule it into your week.
Monthly goals, on the other hand, are easier to manage.
For an even simpler template, Rosetta Thurman fromHappy Black Womanhas you covered.
Her monthly review consists of just four steps:
List everything significant that happened last month.
This doesnt have to be just your achievementsany significant life changes or events you attended also belong here.
Set goalsfor the month ahead.
Of course, the best monthly review template will be the one that works for you.
But that doesnt have to make your annual review overwhelming.
Maybe you want to reflect on your business or career achievements of the past year.
Or maybe you like to set lots of goals each year, then reflect on your progress towards them.
Like any other review, a personal annual review is foryouand should includewhatever you find most useful.
Even if that changes from year to year.
Reflect on yourbiggest lessons learnedin the past year.
Give yourself a scorefor how well the past year went.
it’s possible for you to give yourself a grade from F to A+ or a score from 1-10.
Plan anynew habits you could buildto help you achieve the goals you set in the previous step.
Plan yourimmediate next stepsto achieve each of the goals you set.
Browse all files on your machine created in the past year to see what you spent time working on.
Look through your Amazon order history and credit card statement to see what you spent money on.
Read through your notes and journal entries from the past year.
Writing your annual review at the start of the year tells you what to work on, she says.
Vanderkam suggests imagining its the end of the year right now, and the year went well.
Now write down the three to five things that made it such a great year.
This tells you ahead of time what to work on.
All you have to do is work towards making that review a reality.
If youre ready to try your own reviews, grab one of these templates and adjust as you go.
Youll find your own needs change over time and dictate what kind of reflection is most useful.
