We are now in October, which means the final quarter of the year has begun!
Halloween is almost here, and most of us have already started working on those custom-made costumes.
Soon, Mariah will be blasting from every corner, the lights will be up, and the Christmas season will be here. The busy season will be upon us, and before we know it, the year will be over.
We will be writing down our goals for the new year. Time flies.
But we are here now, and this is the perfect time to start reflecting and looking back at how the year went.
Most of us do annual evaluations at work; why don’t we do the same for our personal lives?
Look at what we learned and let go of. New habits we practiced and the new relationships we made.
How successful were we at accomplishing our goals, and what can we do to increase our success before the year comes to an end?
Below are some ways you can incorporate it into your personal end-of-year evaluation to ensure that you make the most of this last quarter.
The Last Quarter of the Year: 5 Ways of Making it Count
Reflect and celebrate.
As you look back at the things you have accomplished and those you wish to, remember to celebrate.
Look back at the journey you went through in order for you to achieve the things you have, even when they might seem small. Keep in mind that, at some point you desperately wished for those things.
You attaining them should be worth a celebration!
Prioritize.
Most of us have a long list of the things we hope to accomplish before the year comes to an end, but the reality is we might not be able to get it all done.
And that is okay.
Look at the things you want to accomplish and prioritize them. Have the most important things at the top of the list and work on those first. This will reduce the pressure and allow you to focus on the important things rather than trying to accomplish a lot of things in a short space of time.
Enhance your skills.
As you reflect, you might realize that you didn’t accomplish some things simply because you didn’t have the skills.
That is absolutely fine, and that means you now know what you lack and what you need to do to accomplish those goals. In some instances you might have to work on the skills on your own. Things like journaling require you to work on the skill on your own, but in some cases you might need the support of others to get things done.
Consider improving your skills by signing up for classes or simply reading related material that will upskill you.
Focus on you.
I hope you have been focusing on you throughout the year.
But, as the year comes to an end, it is easy to get caught up in the rush of getting things done and accomplishing goals to such an extent that you forget to focus on you.
Get enough rest at the end of the day, eat well and stay active. Take some time to just relax and not do anything. Enjoy some self-care. We tend to feel like we always have to be productive.
There is nothing wrong with doing nothing and allowing yourself to rest while renewing your energy!
Plan for what’s ahead.
As you work on finishing off the year on a good note, don’t forget to also start working on your plans for next year. (Although, no pressure.)
You can start thinking about what you want to accomplish or how you want to build on the wins you attained this year.
Planning the year takes time, and for me, this is the perfect time to start thinking about it. As you reflect, you become aware of the things that held you back, it becomes easier to plan how you can overcome these drawbacks.
This is the right time to start being intentional regarding what must be done.
‘Instead of focusing on what you could have done, focus, instead on what must be done.’ – Neen James
You’ve Got This!
As the year comes to an end, it is easy to feel like you didn’t get much done or the year was not a success.
But what we fail to realize is that you had a lot of seemingly small wins, and they’re important and deserve to be celebrated.
These last few months are a great chance to finish off the year strong, making it count!
Remind yourself of the things you wanted to accomplish at the beginning of the year and get them going if you can. If you’re unable to get everything done, that is absolutely fine. You don’t have to beat yourself up.
You can always try again!
Photo by Startup Stock Photos
