Life is a constant pursuit. We are all chasing something - money, successful career, a partner, and endless other things. Every day we get up from our beds with a desire to reach a step closer to our dream and work our butt off to chase our priorities.
As we have entered in the last month of 2017, this is my favorite part of the year with festivities and merrymaking all around us. Along with all the fun, I like to sit back and introspect everything that happened this year - achievements, failures, lessons, aspirations, struggles, learnings to everything else. I engage myself in this activity to reflect, learn and grow before ringing in the New Year.
“Gift yourself a solution for all your project management troubles this New Year. Start using ProofHub.”
I’ve made a list of 10 questions intended to get you thinking about the different aspects of life. Let’s see what these questions are:
#1 What am I most proud of?
Let’s start the list on a happy note - one thing you won’t mind humblebragging in front of your peers. However, in reality, most of us like to downplay our achievements. Being proud of yourself is not a bad thing. You just have to think of one or two things you did in 2017 you are unapologetically proud of.
Don’t run to others for their opinion. No one else can answer this question better than you. Just ask yourself and jot down the things you’d like to give yourself a pat on your back for.
#2 What was my most challenging moment in 2017?
Every once in awhile we find ourselves in the middle of something nerve-wracking. The moments where we were struggling hard to get us out of that situation. The purpose of revisiting these uncomfortable memories is to learn more about ourselves and implement lessons learned in the future. By doing this, we get to know about our weaknesses and be fully prepared the next time we find ourselves in the same situation.
#3 What is that one thing I learned from others?
Everyday people do so many things for us that make our lives easier. They help us achieve things which would have been little difficult otherwise. In 2017, I realized how a small act of kindness by others can impact our lives tremendously.
While managing my team at ProofHub, I was amazed when my team members helped a colleague by extending their working hours to help her meet the deadline. This strengthened my belief in an African saying which goes something like this, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
#4 Did I have fun?
A year has 365 days. I’m sure you would have experienced both - the bright sunny days and the storms. Can’t we just take a moment to think about all the happy moments when our smiles were meeting both the ears? Think about the fun activities you had - going on a family trip, dancing your heart out at a friend’s wedding, scuba diving, experiencing beautiful sunsets amidst the mountains. Recall these lovely moments and boost your endorphin levels.
#5 What did I try, but failed?
There is nothing more courageous than accepting your mistakes and learning from them. We all make mistakes - some intentional while others situational. But we also learn our biggest lessons from the mistakes we do. Don’t we?
Make mistakes but vow not to commit the same mistakes twice and implement the lessons in the times of a crisis. However, feel free to make new mistakes and learn new lessons.
#6 How much time did I spend with my loved ones?
Do you know what’s the number one regret people have on their deathbeds? It is to not spend enough time with their loved ones. While working hard for our dreams, we often tend to overlook the special ones in our life unknowingly and prefer to spend most of our free time either networking or with friends.
To me, there’s nothing more important than being with people I love - whether it’s my immediate family, extended family members or friends. What makes this question important is if you really spent the time you wanted to spend with your loved ones or not?
#7 What books did I read that made a difference in my life?
Reading is the key to success. This year I made a resolution to read 4 books a month and I’m glad I did. For me, there’s no enjoyment like reading. Considering the fast pace of our lives, I understand it can be tough to sit back and read. I often download audiobooks so that I can listen to them whenever I have some free time or when I’m commuting to work.
I absolutely loved ‘How To Be a Bawse: A Guide To Conquering Life’ by Lilly Singh and learned some amazing lessons from ‘Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t’ by Jim Collins.
#8 What advice would I offer someone else on the basis of a lesson I learned this year?
Like I mentioned in #5, the lesson that I am going to pass on to others is being kind and compassionate towards others without expecting anything in return. Lending a helping hand to someone in need and without them asking for it is a selfless act of kindness.
If you ask me to offer an advice to others, it will be to fill a gap in someone else’s life who may be struggling or is going through hard times in life.
#9 What would I do differently next year?
This is a continuation of #5. You know when we look back and contemplate, we often think that there are so many things, if given a chance, we could have done differently. Personally, I think there are so many things I wish I did differently - listening to my gut feeling more often, trying out new hairstyles and the list goes on.
Professionally, I think that I could have taken more risks and encouraged my team members to challenge the status-quo at ProofHub. While answering this question, try to think about the things you would have done differently- both personally and professionally.
#10 what can I do today to make 2018 better than this year?
Take a close look at your daily habits and notice if you are doing the same things you were doing a year ago. If you are, you still have time to inculcate new habits. Or better, you can form habits that are related to your 2018 resolution and consider this is as a warm-up for the next year.
These questions may give you a major dose of nostalgia. Every question contains a bundle of wisdom and experience that will make you a better person. Take these questions day by day to fully reflect on them with utmost honesty. At the end of the month, you can use these answers to help to create goals for the next year. Let’s finish strong in 2017 and make 2018 our best year ever.
**********
About Author
Vartika Kashyap is the Marketing Manager at ProofHub (https://www.proofhub.com/) — a project management software for your growing business needs. She is a seasoned marketing professional who is an expert in digital marketing and entrepreneurship. She’s been featured among LinkedIn’s Top Voices for the year 2016, and is also a contributor for The Next Web, Huffington Post & Your Story. She is also a top writer in Leadership & Productivity on Medium. Connect with Vartika on LinkedIn, Medium and Twitter.
Let me send you my best stuff, click here to subscribe now!
**********
If you liked reading this post, here are some more which you are surely going to love -