Finish 2024 strong. Start 2025 stronger.

Credit to Author: Murali Murthy| Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:26:24 +0000

As the year draws to a close, this is an excellent time to reflect on your achievements and set goals for what you hope to accomplish in the next 12 months. As you wind down for the holiday celebrations, take a few moments to reassess your career and the highs and the lows of the year so far. A year-end reflection is crucial for growth and offers an opportunity for course correction and to strategic planning for future success. Here are some tips to assess the year gone by as you approach the final stretch of 2024 and prepare for a fantastic 2025.

Review milestones

Spend a few quiet minutes reflecting on the journey so far and the milestones you’ve achieved. As you revisit the destinations covered, assess whether the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year have been accomplished, or if they are still in progress. Reflect on the learning experiences you had during the past few months, note the challenges, and how you overcame them, and the skills or knowledge gained in the process. Reflect on the reasons behind both successes and challenges, as both are important elements of a successful career.

Identify patterns

As you list your achievements, look for recurring themes and patterns. Identify the specific areas where you consistently exceeded expectations. This can help you understand your areas of strength and properly chart your career progress. These could range from any training or workshops that you attended to the certifications that you received. Assess how these events and experiences enhanced your skill set and whether they contributed to your long-term goals.

Recognize accomplishments

Start by creating a comprehensive list of your achievements throughout 2024, both big and small. Consider projects completed, goals achieved and notable contributions you made to your organization. Don’t just focus only on the big milestones, remember, even the small ones matter. Maybe you helped the team resolve a challenge on time, maybe you brushed up your skills in AI or negotiated a crucial contract.  Putting the spotlight on your victories will provide clarity and the confidence to press forward in 2025. Moreover, reflecting on your accomplishments can be beneficial at your present job and can also help you if you are seeking a pay raise, a promotion or a new job opportunity.

Quantify impact

Take some time to assess the impact of your achievements. What gets measured gets improved.  When you attach metrics, it reinforces the significance of your contribution and the  value that you have delivered to the organization. The visible results can be highlighted on your portfolio too, convincing recruiters that you are qualified for the job.

Request feedback

Every individual has strengths and weaknesses, and we all have areas that we can improve upon. From working on our networking skills to becoming a better designer or writer, each one of us can improve with feedback.

So, go ahead and solicit feedback from friends, family or office colleagues. Once you understand how others perceive you, it will be easier to identify accomplishments that you may not have even considered. When gathering feedback, being specific and asking for measurable insights can provide valuable data that can help set you up for better results next year.

Maintain momentum

Whatever you do, keep the momentum of job hunting, networking and volunteering going during the holiday season. Remember, some companies may speed up hiring during the holiday season to conclude the process before the year ends, so it is a good time to be front and centre in your networking. Connect with hiring managers and recruiters at live industry events or on LinkedIn. And keep contributing useful content to attract their attention.

 Set new goals

As a final step, to set you up for a robust 2025, create both short-term and long-term objectives that are in sync with your broader career aspirations. Make sure that all goals are measurable – follow the S.M.A.R.T format. And enjoy the journey along the way. Wish you a momentous 2025 where all your dreams come true!

Murali Murthy is an acclaimed public speaker, life coach and best-selling author of The ACE Principle, The ACE Awakening, The ACE Abundance and You Are HIRED! He is also chairperson of CAMP Networking Canada. Learn how he can help unlock your magic at ACEWorldFoundation.com

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