Year-End Business Reflections: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself
The end of December is one of my favourite times to reflect on my achievements, accomplishments, and lessons learned from the past year. Reflection and review are great ways to “get a read” on things, both in your personal life and in your business, and pave the way for some serious goal-setting for the new year ahead.
Both our proudest accomplishments and our greatest struggles can hold keys and clues as to how we want things to be in the future. Remember…pride and pain are both excellent teachers.
Read on for some inspiring questions to ask yourself as you’re reflecting on the year past, and looking forward to the one ahead.
Year-End Business Reflections: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself
1. What am I most proud of this year?
Did you achieve a big goal, receive an award, or hit an income milestone in 2024? Perhaps you had a business breakthrough, implemented a new productivity technique, or learned a new skill that skyrocketed your business. Whatever it is that you’re most proud of - take a moment to really recognize and celebrate it.
2. What did I struggle with the most this year?
Running a business is far from easy, and much of the time, it can feel like a downright struggle. When you really think about it, what was the most difficult thing for you in your business this year? Once you’ve gained some clarity on this, you can think about ways to improve or maybe even outsource the process altogether in the coming months.
3. What was my best investment this year?
It costs a lot of money to run a business, but some investments can pay off in a big way. What was the best investment you made in your business this year? It could be a course or a certification, a new program or piece of equipment, or even a support professional like a bookkeeper or a virtual assistant. Knowing where your hard-earned money was best spent can help you to prioritize certain things over others in your budget moving forward.
4. What product or service did I most enjoy providing this year? Why?
What is your favourite part about running your business? Do you have a specific task or service that you absolutely love doing or providing to your clients? Think about what you like the most, and maybe consider some ways to work more of that into your schedule in the future. Perhaps you can even develop a new product or service around something that you already love doing.
5. What was the most important thing I learned this year?
Ah, lessons. They’re an essential part of the human experience. Sometimes they’re positive and uplifting, and other times they can be a bit embarrassing, or even painful. No matter how you learned it, try to pinpoint the single most valuable thing you mastered this year. And most importantly…try to give yourself some grace if the road to understanding something new was a little bit bumpy.
As you settle into the final days of 2024 and prepare for 2025, I hope you’re able to put a bit of time aside for reflection. It’s easy to want to jump head-first into goal-setting and action mode on January 1st, but treating yourself to a few quiet moments during the busy-ness of the hectic holiday season can be such a gift.
I’m wishing you cozy hearthside vibes and lots of restful time with your loved ones. See you next year! ;)