It's Time For Reflection

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." - Confucius

By Patrick Driessen
The year 2009 is almost over. This year has been very challenging, included many unexpected turns, and various steep ups and downs for most of us. For me it also has been an exceptional, exciting and rewarding year, in which I have achieved a lot, built new relationships with some great people, have gotten to know myself a bit better, learned many new things and had lots of fun with many friends, family, team members, clients and business partners. A special and sincere thanks to all whom supported and helped me to succeed and have fun this year!

Looking ahead to a new year is always inspiring. Thinking of new ideas, setting new goals and stretching your creative mind on what to do differently, will give you a lot of positive energy! Now before you look ahead, the challenge is to first look back and reflect on the things you have done, experienced, learned and achieved.

If you sit down with pen and paper and spend some quality time on (self)reflection, it will allow you to deepen your learning’s and optimize your goal setting and planning when you look ahead at the new year. To help you stretch your mind, below are some questions you can ask yourself. I’m sure you can think of many more, allowing you to write down some very useful learning’s and conclusions.

• What are the 3 key achievements of this past year? What did it allow you to do and what did you learn from it?
• Who are the people who provided you with the best support, most fun and most love? How can you strengthen your valuable relationship with them?
• Who are the people you have learned most of? How can you learn more from them and how can you build new relationships with more people like them?
• Which people had a negative impact on you and/or the people close to you? How can you avoid them in the future?
• Which goals had you set for 2009? Which ones did you achieve? What was the impact on you? What did you learn from it?
• Which goals for 2009 didn’t you achieve? Why not? What can you do differently to achieve these in 2010?
• What kind of new skills have you developed at work and how did you improve your personal unique value proposition? How can you utilize this value to improve your career next year?
• What was the best book you have read and which learning’s and insights did you take from it?
• What did you do to improve your health and well-being? What can you do to further improve it?
• What was the best investment you have made? What kind of unique value did it give to you?
• Which new things or skills did you think of to further develop? What do you need to succeed in doing so?
• What kind of legacy will you leave behind this year?
• What were the 3 worst experiences this past year and how can you prevent these from happening in the future?
• What is the single one thing you can change as of today, which will have a positive impact on all the other things you do and want to achieve?
• ....
• ....

Have fun and enjoy your self-reflection exercise! It’s very rewarding to do and allows you to close off the year with a rich feeling and a sharp look ahead!

From the tropical & sunny island of Langkawi (Malaysia), I would like to wish you all a very positive, fruitful, healthy, entrepreneurial, creative and inspiring new year in which you’ll all succeed in many ways!

"Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment!" - Lao Tzu

Thanks, warmest regards & success,


Patrick