10 Questions to Spark Your Year in Business Review

December 27, 2016

Last week I shared my 2016 year in review, which also happened to be my first year of business review (*fist bump*), and the response I received was nothing short of incredible. It seemed as though my readers were all looking for that extra bit of motivation and inspiration to reflect on their own year.

While December is traditionally a month dedicated to intense business planning for the upcoming year, and I did my fair share of that too (hello shiny, new business plan!), we often forget to take a look back at all of the things we’ve accomplished and the lessons we learned along the way.

Today, I challenge you to get quiet with yourself and fully reflect on this year, to pull out the highlights from this blur of a year to help bring you into 2017 with light and love. Here are a few questions to help you kick-start your review:

What gave you the greatest perspective shifts in 2016?

There’s nothing I love digging more into than how many new perspectives I’ve encountered in a year and how my thought process has changed. In business and in life, we’re constantly learning from one another and within ourselves. Sometimes we enter one year with a certain mentality that’s completely altered by the time we move into the next. This is something beautiful to be celebrated and surely not forgotten.

What were you most thankful to have enough of in 2016?

We live in a culture of “More” which often takes our minds away from what is good in our everyday life. In order to prosperous, we must be satisfied with what we have today. This can stretch beyond physical possessions into lessons, expertise, and other traits and skills we acquire over time.

My definition of “Enough” shifted this year in the best way. I used to think the term was inherently negative with the way others talked about it, like only having enough to get by or being stuck in the cycle of “just enough”, but I now see the word as the place of ultimate gratitude. It’s being okay with who you are, where you are, and with what you have. I think this mentality then leads to being more grateful for anything “More” that comes your way.

What did you want more of in 2016?

Try to go deeper with your answers than simply physical things like “a new office desk” or specific dollar amounts of income. Instead, focus on the true reasoning behind those wants, like the new office desk creates a dedicated space for your craft that you never had growing up or the sustainable income that will finally allow you to feel comfortable taking that cross-country trip you’ve been planning in your head since college.

I’ve seen the word “manifest” pop up a lot in the online business circles when we talk about wanting more of something. Maybe that word jives with you, or maybe you need to find another word that helps you get intentional with this process like “attract”, “desire”, or something else entirely. Find what works for you!

Additional soul-centered questions for your year in review:

• What were your most valuable lessons in 2016?
• What worked this year that took you by surprise?
• What didn’t work this year that took you by surprise?
• List the 5 most influential people in your life from 2016. Write the biggest lesson you gained from each person. (This one is a GAME CHANGER!)
• List 10 adjectives to describe 2016. (No self-censorship! The first to come to mind.)
• What were your strongest values of 2016? Are they the same going into 2017?
• What did Abundance look like in 2016? What will it look like in 2017?