Business Reflection. Your Year In Review + Journal Prompts

New Year is only a few days away. I have been journaling for most of this month and reflecting on my business to gain insights around my business. It’s my year under review and all the things that have come up for me personally.

Journaling is often considered to be a little woo-woo but so many amazing inspiring and successful women journal. Think Oprah Winfrey, Marie Forleo, Kate Byrne, Tash Corbin and Melanie Bekler. These ladies are earning big money and doing what they love.

Journaling is something I have been practicing this year. Like yoga I keep improving on it, working out ways for me to be better at it and learn from what I have written. It’s a great way to reflect on the year that has been and to take ownership of all that has happened and to start fresh.

I have to admit that learning to write down my feelings was hard at first. You see I am a doer but I am also very connected to how I feel but expressing it is a whole new ball game. But as time has gone on this year. Not only have I become clearer about my business but I am also clearer about how I am feeling.  It’s a win-win.

Since there are only a few days left. What I would highly recommend doing is going to your favourite place or as close as you can get to it. For example, the ocean, rainforest, hills, a cafe that sparks your inspiration – find that place. Then take a book to write along with the following prompts and carve out two hours to dedicate to this process. Perhaps have an ice tea too.

Allow the words to write themselves. At first, it may feel uncomfortable but just keep at it. I promise that their will be gold in your words when they come. They always seem to surface when you least expect it.

Ok, here are some journaling prompts for business reflection and to review your year.

1. What Did I learn this year

Think about all the things that happened over the year. The stuff ups the wins or the ho-hum plans that didn’t come to life. Write down how you felt about each one and all the things that you learned in those situations.

It’s great to kick start your reflecting knowing exactly what did and didn’t work for you in your business. I also like to make a list of challenges that I faced during the year and then figure out ways to change them. Is it a behavour, hiring a designer or simply canceling a service I offer as it is no longer getting traction?

2. What did you love this year

What were your favourite things that you did in your business? How did they make you feel? Looking back on them why do you think that you loved them so much? What made them so special?

It could be an event you ran, a blog post that got published on a well-known website or even completing an online course to help grow your business. Explore why you got so much out of it and the feelings that came to life for you.

Perhaps write a list of things that you loved working on so you can incorporate those into the new year.

3. What is my intention for 2018

How would you like 2018 to unfold for you in your business? What does it look like? Who do you have around you to support you? What does it feel like when you are working? What does your workspace look like?

Dive deep into your dreams for the year, explore them and the reasons why you want them to come to life. This is your dream business and your unique quest.

Your intentions may be simple or very complex. But what we are looking for here is your goals for the year. You might like to set a financial goal, set some numbers to expand on or even connect more with your tribe.

4. What do I want to be known for?

How are you going to impact the world with your work? What can you do to make sure people know who you are and what you do? What makes you so unique?

This is an opportunity to align yourself with your business and the role you play in it. Explore all the ways you can make an impact on peoples lives and what is the message that you are sharing with them.

After doing this one perhaps look at your scribbles and see if there are any quotes that you can use for your marketing that just screams what it is you do.

5. How do you want to make people feel when they interact with you and your business?

This question is similar to the last but it focuses more on the feelings we generate for others. I want you to explore how it might feel when someone reads your service page when they attend a workshop, read a blog post, joins your facebook group.

What is the first impression you want to give? What is your lasting impression that they leave with?  Explore feelings associated with your business and what you are trying to purvey and how you can do more of that in the new year.

6. What does success mean to you?

What would it feel like if you were successful next year? What does it look like for you? What would be different? How would you act? What would you do?

If you know what success is for you and how it feels then I believe that you can create it. Being clear on the specifics is a great way to acknowledge how you are going to achieve it. Not only using this as a journal prompt you could also create a board of what success looks like for you in your business.

Get real about it. Do you have five team members working with you? Do you need certain software or gadgets to help you create this success? Break it down into the specifics. These are the small goals you can work towards to creating your bigger one.

7. What am I going to do to celebrate?

This is something that many of us simply don’t do. Me included at times. However I am making sure that in 2018 I am going to celebrate my wins and not just one or two of them, all of them. Use this prompt to dream about ways you can acknowledge your work and achievements.

Is it going on a retreat, out to a fancy restaurant, a girls vay-cay, booking in a spa-day or even going on holiday with the family. Whatever it is declare it and set yourself up with a clear goal to be rewarded for. For example, you might have a financial goal to make $50k in six months and when you reach that you are going to go on holiday for a week. Or it could be simply running your first workshop and celebrating by going for a massage.