“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” – John 15:2
Happy Friday, Brew Nation!
Grab your favorite coffee cup and get ready to embark on a transformative journey. The Champions Brew Newsletter is here to invigorate your mornings and ignite your drive for personal growth and impact! Fuel your mornings with motivation and purpose. As you savor your first cup of the day, let the Champions Brew infuse you with the insights and strategies you need to make each day a stepping stone towards your aspirations. Let’s Go!
Uncommon Success: Your 5-Step End-of-Year Reflection Guide
…Think of your life as a valuable tree. Over the past year, you’ve established roots, weathered storms, and experienced periods of growth. Now, as the year draws to a close, it’s time for a crucial step: consulting with an arborist. This involves identifying areas where decay has set in (unproductive habits or negative thoughts), trimming back overgrown or weak branches (time-wasting activities or ineffective strategies), and fortifying the core (investing in your skills and development). This expert care will ensure continued health and a more robust harvest in the year ahead. This end-of-year reflection is your opportunity to bring in the arborist and prepare for a season of renewed growth. You are that arborist.
The holidays are a time for celebration and joy, but they also offer a perfect opportunity for reflection. As leaders, taking stock of the past year and planning for the future is crucial for continued growth and success. This week I will walk you through a five-step process designed for you to be intentional about understanding the past growth that you have achieved and also recognize those branches (aka, disciplines, habits, behaviors, etc.) that you must prune to bear more fruit in your work and life. Below I outline those 5 steps for you:
1. Revisit Your “SO THAT”:
Do you have a personal mission statement identified? I call this mission statement your “so that”. It is THE driving force behind your actions. Think of a leader you admire and ask yourself, “What compels them to do what they do?” Here’s an example of a personal ‘so that’ mission statement: “I desire to be an extraordinary leader. Therefore, I invest in continuous learning and development so that I can become the best leader, spouse, parent, or friend I was meant to be.” It identifies your goal or desire, an action you must take to achieve that goal, and what the outcome will be when you act on it!
2. Assess Your Scoreboard:
Did you set goals for the year? Have you achieved them or made significant progress? Leaders crave progress, so having a system to track your wins is essential. Consider using a personal dashboard, like a monthly color-coded tracker, to visualize your goal progress.
3. Identify the Gaps:
This is where reflection truly shines. Grab a notepad and draw a line down the center, with a “+” on the left and a “-” on the right. List your successes of the past year below the “+” side and areas you could have done better below the “-“.
Here are some resources to spark or inform your reflection:
- Calendar: Review your schedule to see how you spent your time.
- Photos: Relive memories and identify themes.
- Book Pile: Reflect on your learning journey through the books you read.
- Journal: Revisit your thoughts and emotions throughout the year.
4. Course Correct for Success:
It’s time to chart your course for the coming year. Use these three questions to guide your planning:
- KEEP: What practices or habits fueled your success that you need to continue doing?
- START: What new actions will bring you closer to your goals?
- STOP: What do you need to Stop doing? Identify and eliminate habits hindering your progress. This is often the most difficult step. This is where the pruning occurs, though. Sometimes you have to give up good to get to uncommon.
5. Share and Be Accountable:
Don’t let your reflections gather dust! Share your goals and progress with an accountability partner – a coworker, spouse, friend, or coach. Schedule regular check-ins to stay motivated and on track. Weekly meetings are ideal, but even quarterly meetings can be beneficial.
A 6th step that I utilize is prayer. For those who find strength in faith, this can be a powerful step. Prayerfully seek guidance to help you navigate the year ahead with confidence.
By taking these steps and committing yourself to an accountability partner, you’re well on your way to achieving uncommon results! Remember:
- Review your “so that”
- Assess your performance
- Identify what went well and what could have gone better
- Ask what you need to Keep, Start and Stop doing
- Share your plan
- Pray over your work
To help you streamline this process, I’ve created a free reflection tool document. This resource provides a structured template to guide your end-of-year review and make it even more effective.
To receive your free copy, simply email me, message me or comment on the post with the word “REFLECTION” in the subject line, and I’ll send it to you electronically.
In conclusion, remember this. Excellence only happens on purpose. When you take the time to purposefully reflect on your past performance, it is inevitable that you will drive purposeful behaviors leading to uncommon results.
- Quote of the week:
“You must prune to bloom. If the dead weight is not pruned and removed, it compromises the quality, performance, and output of the vine. When you prune what’s not working in your life, you make the space and place for renewal to happen and for new growth to spring forth.” – Susan C Young, author of Release the Power of Re3: Review, Redo & Renew for Positive Change & Transformation
What You Need to Do:
Call to Action: Schedule a powerful 90-minute reflection session in your calendar before the end of the year to gain clarity and direction for the year ahead. This focused exercise, coupled with ongoing coaching, can be the catalyst for your uncommon success.
If this resonates with you, and you’d like to be inspired, equipped, and encouraged through personalized coaching and accountability, contact me today! Visit my website at https://coachjohngallagher.com/freecall to learn more and schedule a complimentary consultation call.
It’s an honor to be your trusted “Friday Coffee Guy”. Each week, I’m excited to provide yet another round of curated content that I’ve been reading, listening to, watching, or thinking over. The purpose of the Champions Brew is to inspire, equip and encourage you to become the uncommon leader you were designed to be. I am so grateful for your decision to invest a few moments with me! I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Champions Brew. If you did, I would appreciate it if you would share it with someone who might enjoy it as well and ask them to subscribe! I will make sure they automatically get this email every week.
Until next time, Go and Grow Champions!
P.S. – Are you a podcast fan? Maybe the Uncommon Leader podcast is for you. Are you interested in being a guest on the Uncommon Leader Podcast? Do you have a story to tell? Email me [email protected] and let’s have a chat and set something up!!
