A Little Christmas Assignment

By Mark Morgan Ford | 12/25/2009 |

Christmas week, I spend a lot of time having fun. But I also review the progress I’ve made on my goals during the year. I do that by:

  • Reviewing my journal entries — a full year’s worth of entries. I pay special attention to any promises and commitments I made that haven’t been kept.
  • Reviewing my yearly, monthly, and weekly schedules to get a better understanding of the objectives I’ve yet to complete.
  • Reviewing my Rolodex and business card file to remind myself of all the new contacts I’ve made.

The routine of reviewing the past year and preparing to set my goals for the coming year gives me a great deal of satisfaction. I am always pleased to see how much I accomplished.

It is also very practical. It gives me a general feeling for how I’ve been spending my time (relative to my priorities). It helps me note any bad habits I might have fallen into. And I am reminded of all sorts of ideas I had, projects I initiated, and relationships I started that need follow up.

So, no matter what else you have planned for the next couple of days, set aside a little time to revisit the past year. I think you’ll come up with all sorts of good ideas about things you can do next year… along with the inspiration to get you going on them.

[Ed. Note: Mark Morgan Ford was the creator of Early To Rise. In 2011, Mark retired from ETR and now writes the Palm Beach Letter. His advice, in our opinion, continues to get better and better with every essay, particularly in the controversial ones we have shared today. We encourage you to read everything you can that has been written by Mark.]
Posted in Motivation, Self-Improvement