Dreading the Year End Review

I’ve been avoiding even thinking about doing an end of the year review because it sounds too clinical and institutional and pain-centered. I say pain-centered because although a few things turned out great, I didn’t accomplish as much as I had hoped to this year. I got sidetracked on some interesting and fanciful paths. There are (too many) projects I didn’t finish. There are to-do items that didn’t even get started.

Honestly, I dread itemizing my fails, screw-ups, disappointments and woulda-coulda-shouldas all in one place. The list would be long, impressive and overwhelming. Or is that underwhelming. I dunno, I just don’t even want to find out. Call me the proverbial ostrich if you want to, I don’t care. (end toddler rant)

As much as I know that theoretically it’s a good idea and good practice to examine how you measured up, whether it’s in personal terms or as a business exercise, I am not up for that kind of nerve-wracking, anxiety-inducing, administrative jargon-laden, must-do of a deal. Why would I want to put myself through that kind of a process? Just because it’s supposedly “good for me” to do an annual review? No thanks! Not going there! Just not happening.

How’s your end of year review coming along, by the way?

Finding a Better Way to “Review” Last Year

But what if there could be a different way to look over the year and rescue useful information from it? Information that might help me get closer to my goals and dreams in the coming year?

There has to be a better way of doing this kind of  “look back to track” exercise. An approach that’s painless, guilt-free, and constructive.

I’ve been working on just such a gentle and helpful way to study the year just ending, and as soon as it’s ready I’ll be sharing it here.

In the meantime, what keeps you from doing your own end of year review? What are you afraid of finding? Tell me how you really feel!