<aside> <img src="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1fc960ce-e2e0-4562-990d-fce19e9ab7d4/56731cb6-ce03-49fe-985e-b85345322a5c/info-light.svg" alt="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1fc960ce-e2e0-4562-990d-fce19e9ab7d4/56731cb6-ce03-49fe-985e-b85345322a5c/info-light.svg" width="40px" /> About Retrospectives


As part of my commitment to growth and belief in the importance of self-reflection, I added a new element to my year.

The purpose of the retrospective is pulled directly from Agile Methodology. As stated in the Principles from the Agile Manifesto:

At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

I’m adopting the retrospective to look back on what worked, what didn’t, and collect some thoughts on future actions.

While this post is primarily an exercise for me, I’m also committed to working in public and I hope that seeing the process will inspire you to reflect on who you were this year, and get you thinking about who you want to be next year.

Every year my first post will be My Three Words and my last post of the year will be the Retrospective.

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This is the last blog post of 2020 for me.

Cooling down is an easy exercise, done after a more intense activity, to allow the body to gradually transition to a resting or near-resting state. Wikipedia

Revision literally means to “see again,” to look at something from a fresh, critical perspective.

I love the end of the year almost as much as I love the start of a new one.

The beginning of the year is where I hit the ground running with renewed energy and passion. I’ll have charted a course for a new destination and I’m loaded with excitement, curiosity, and determination.

None of this can happen, without a critical examination of the year that’s coming to an end.

The end of the year is where I take the opportunity to reflect upon the previous 12 months. It’s a chance to think about what went well and what didn’t. It’s a chance to look at everything unexpected that came up and better prepare myself in the future. It’s the best time to plan for the coming year because everything has slowed down.

It always feels like everyone is taking the time to catch their breath before starting again and that makes it the ideal time to cool down.

The Cool Down

I recognize that not everyone can do this, especially those who work in retail. For those that can, the first thing I would encourage you to do, is to consciously and deliberately make the time at the end of the year for this cool down exercise. That means you have to set expectations with others about your availability, block off time on your calendar, and commit to using this time in a way that best serves you.

Since 2014, I have been taking the last 2 weeks of the year “off” in order to create the space for reflection. While I still occasionally have a client obligation in the final 2 weeks of the year, I tend to set expectations early enough with my clients that it’s generally not an issue. In most cases, with very little actually getting done during the holidays, clients have been receptive to it, especially since many of their clients are out of the office as well.

This creates uninterrupted space for deep thinking.

If you are able to make this time it’s important to understand that once you have it, YOU get to decide what you do with it.

For me, I choose to reflect and catch-up. The following is an outline of my annual cool down process, including some reflections of my own.

How To Review & Reflect On The Year

1. Accomplishments

I think the best place to start your reflections is by thinking about accomplishments.