As we make our new year resolutions and numerate our expectations for the year, it is very important that we do a performance review and personal retreat of the past years. In the spirit of progress, we need an assessment (formal and informal) of ourselves as it relates to our personal, family, cooperate, and general life.
Naturally, we love to sing our praises and often fail to acknowledge our mistakes, and we feel uncomfortable to think about them, talk about them, and address them. This hinders us from making distinguished progress in life. Thus, it is pertinent for us to make a self-assessment review by sincere, honest, and transparent introspection and non judgmental attitude of ourselves, made by our ourselves.
We can start by asking;
What did I do wrong last year?
What opportunities did I miss?
What instructions did I ignore?
Did fear, laziness, or carelessness hinder me in any way?
What potential customers or clients did I miss due to my attitude or poor customer care? How well did I deliver in my services?
How excellent was I in my duties?
Did pride, stubbornness, negligence, procrastination, and poor conduct repulse my prospects?
What obstructed my opportunities?
What distractions did I have?
Are there consequences of my actions?
What are the ripple effects or the con comittant results of the decisions I made?
How did my decisions affect each other?
Did I set my priorities, right?
Did I abandon any good project for trivial ones?
Was my social media involvement beneficial or detrimental to my progress?
At the relationship level, how did I associate with my family, friends, relatives, colleagues, neighbours, and so on?
Was I fully involved and committed to my family, cooperate, and social life?
Which of them did I prioritise most?
Did I unite, or did I diverge people?
Did I lie against people to gain favour?
How much help have I rendered to the people around me?
Am I a manipulator or a peacemaker?
At the cooperate level,
What’s my official image? What persona do I represent?
Am I a good teammate?
Am I a habitual debtor?
Do I encourage and appreciate the people at my workplace?
Do I downplay the contributions of others?
Do I disregard the menial workers around?
Have I honoured those deserving of it?
Do I say enough thank you and show appreciation when it’s needed?
Who is my mentor, and how well do I follow his or her guide and counsel?
At the relationship level, have I evaluated my circle of friends?
Do i mingle with people of like minds and agreeing compatibility?
Have I checked the importance and contributions of these people in my life?
Whose acumen do I align with?
Do I make those around me comfortable?
Am I peaceful?
Whose toes are my stepping?
Do I berate corrections?
Do I lift others as I rise?
Do people feel blessed having me?
In general,
what structural relationships have I secured in different areas of my life?
Does my highest commitment lie with my family, business, financial, spiritual, or social life?
How do I strike a balance in all these spheres?
This self retreat is a pre requisite for everyone, irrespective of your age, status, occupation, or vocation. We need to evaluate and analyse our abilities, performances, and behaviours of the past years. This will enable us to observe, reflect, scrutinise, and make an informed, candid, and unbiased decision for the new year and beyond.
*Amara Ann Unachukwu*
