I'm known for the reflections game, whether it's for a year, a single party, or a vacation. I love to do reflections.
After a vacation I want to know:
What was your favorite experience?
What was the most beautiful sight?
What was your favorite meal?
What would you have skipped if you got a do-over?
What will you remember more than anything?
After a party I want to know:
Who was the most interesting person?
Who was the least interesting person?
What would you have done differently?
What was your favorite part?
For the year, I reflect on my business, my health, my relationships, and my home. I have a template you can use here.
This year, I went to Starbucks and got my favorite iced coffee and then spent the afternoon in the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel (fewer distractions than a coffee shop, cozy, and made me feel abundant). I went through my primer book, page by page, to see how I changed and what happened or didn't happen. My primer book is something that I look at almost every day and is taught by business coach Shauna Van Bogart. Unlike a static vision board, it is a living book. I have active pages I am writing in (a little like a journal) and have different page spreads for family, health, marriage, speaking, coaching, travel, etc.
My brother Todd flew in from Indiana, and we met the third member of our Cheer Squad, Lilly Ferrick, at Bean Traders coffee for Habanero Chocolate Lattes and shared our reflections. Tears were shed, fist bumps were given and lessons earned gave perspective.
Sample Business Reflections:
- Biggest Brags
- My book
- 70 speaking engagements
- Donating $775 to Kiva with Rea
- The biggest lesson earned was hiring someone who was is skilled in one area and assuming it would transfer to another.
- Which relationships strengthened the most? Lilly Ferrick and Janet Boudreau, my Vistage Chair.
- Smartest business decision – hiring Jessica Coscia to help with my book PR and moving to LinkedIn only.
On the last Saturday of December, my husband and I went to Full Bloom Coffee for cinnamon cold brew (hmmm….I'm seeing a pattern I didn't realize!) to do our yearly reflections for business and personal. It was exceptional in that I wouldn't have known some of the things he shared or even thought to ask.
I love this exercise and encourage you to do it for yourself, with business colleagues, and with your family. It's enlightening and always a learning experience. When I reflect to someone, they may have a different opinion or a way to look at it. My friend Lilly was discussing her sabbatical, and I pointed out that if she worked for a company that they would have a specified time frame, they would pay her. This gave her an idea about mini-sabbaticals throughout the year. She changed my wording from a lesson learned to lesson earned, which I like much better.
It's not too late to do your reflections for the year, the holiday season, a vacation, or a party. If you don't know where to start, hit the lessons first. You earned them.
