This time of year, with the New Year fast approaching, but also the new Decade, a lot of people look ahead and think about the kind of things they want to achieve in the next 12 months or even longer. And that’s great, especially when it’s done properly, it could really be the start to something very exciting. We don’t often make the time though to just hit that pause button for a bit and reflect on how far we’ve come. We are so busy doing the doing stuff, so easily distracted by technology, emails, social media, kids, life…that we just go onto the next thing, and the next thing, and the next thing without really having the time to just stop and think. And this is massively important. Reflecting raises awareness, it helps us develop and improve, it highlights our learnings and achievements, helps us review and decide whether there are more effective ways of doing things. It also helps us celebrate our achievements, big or small, and improves our self-worth, confidence and general outlook.

For me personally, 2019 has been a very rewarding, exciting and stretching year, one that has put the ground work in place for much bigger things. A year full of development, not just my own, but supporting my clients in achieving some amazing things in their own personal and professional lives. Qualifying with Distinction as a Professional Coach, acquiring new skills, polishing some existing ones and taking the steps towards a much brighter and fulfilling future. 

What have YOU done this year that seemed challenging or unlikely for you to do before?

What are you pleased with about yourself in how you’ve handled difficult situations?

What are some of the biggest challenges that you’ve had to overcome this year?

What did you learn? How could you use this going forward?

What personal and professional strengths do you have?

What new skills have you started to develop? 

What is still missing? What needs changing?

What would happen if things stayed the same?

Make some time at least once until the end of this year to reflect on how far you’ve come in the last twelve months. This will help raise your awareness and enable you to set better goals for yourself in the future. And if you are truly committed to implementing some big changes in your life, get support. Everything is easier and more enjoyable when you have someone on your side who’s genuinely interested in your success. And remember, the only time you should ever look back, is to see how far you’ve come.