Yearly Self-Analysis

It’s that time of year again. The time of self-reflection and setting new resolutions for the new year. It’s always beneficial to take time for yourself to identify all the things that went well over the course of the year and all the things that could have gone well. I find this to be extremely valuable in understanding how far I’ve gotten with my monthly and yearly goals and how much I’ve grown over the course of the year. Then, by analyzing everything, you can set yourself up for goals you want to accomplish and actually go through with them in the following year.

A framework I use to analyze how the year went includes the following sections:

• Overall Analysis + Plan for 20XX
• Previous Year Yearly Goal Analysis
• Previous Year Monthly Goal Analysis
• Professional Life Analysis
• Personal Life Analysis

The first section discusses how the year went overall, like a synopsis. Along with that, the plan I create for the next year also detailed and how I plan to accomplish said plan. After that, an analysis on the yearly goals I laid out is performed. This includes what I was able to accomplish, what I wasn’t, and what I could learn from them. The same goes for the monthly goal analysis.

Next, I think about how my professional life went. Was I able to accomplish the goals I set up for my work life? If not, what could I have done better? What actionable steps should I take for my next set of goals? All of this goes a long way to setting up my short-term and long-term vision I have for myself.

Lastly, I goes deep into my personal life. I’ll spare the details here but I center this around my hobbies, skills I’d like to learn, and skills I want to learn in the future. The purpose of this section is to ensure I haven’t been stagnating outside of work. I believe it’s important to dedicate time to yourself when you can and what you do during that time differs from person to person.

By covering most of these aspects, I can better identify where I made the most progress and what areas I’m still needing improvement in. It’s crazy to think how fast a year goes by, but it’s even crazier to think about everything you set out to accomplish. By becoming aware of where you stand professionally and personally, only then can you set and exceed the standards you set for yourself.