If there’s one step people skip when they’re goal setting every year, it’s reflection.
But if hindsight is 20/20, reflection is 20/10.
Having that dedicated time to look back over the past 365 days without emotion, bias, or judgment helps you see what worked, what didn’t, and what you can change to achieve more and create the wealthy life you dreamed of when you joined the industry.
Because when you take the time to reflect and troubleshoot, you’ll be amazed by what you discover, and through discovery, you can plan for a brighter tomorrow.
But, let’s be real: many of us don’t have the time to sit and ponder the last year all day, right? So today, we’ll walk you through the top five questions to ask yourself to efficiently reflect on your year and plan your goals.
Question #1: Did you meet your goals? Why or why not?
Oh yeah, we’re getting right into it. But the key to answering this question successfully is to not judge yourself.
Write down all of your goals for the past year or, if you have a Wealthiest Year Yet planner, pull yours out. Go through each goal and note if you achieved it, then write a sentence or two about why or why not.
This exercise is short but powerful because you’ll quickly see if
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You were passionate about your goals and had the tools to make it happen
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You were passionate about your goals but didn’t have the tools
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Or you weren’t passionate and didn’t have the tools.
If you didn’t complete a goal, consider whether this is something you’d like to continue working on next year. The best gauge? Ask yourself if it aligns with your North Star.
Question #2: What would you change about what happened in the last year?
There are many things that aren’t in our control: the pandemic, what our guests do, the traffic on our morning commute, etc. The only thing you can truly control is how you react and what you do, right?
With that in mind, think about what you would change in the last year. Maybe it’s how you responded to that Yelp review, whether you should have blessed and released that client that you knew didn’t fit your target market, or how you get yourself and your family out the door in the morning.
Again, don’t bring judgment or I should’ves into this. Just write it down.
Look over your list. What can you do in the next year to help you prevent those things from happening again? Maybe it’s a workflow you go through when responding to reviews, updating your consultation so you and any guest in your chair feel comfortable, setting office hours, or practicing going all in.
Next to each item of things you want to change on your list, write at least one solution. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s just something to get your mind going.
Question #3: What would you keep from the last year?
You guessed it! This is the exact opposite of the question above.
Write down all the things that you loved and worked on in the past year. Maybe it was that new booking software, setting up that great new website, moving to that new salon. Whatever it is, write it down.
How can you have more of that in the new year? This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to move to a new salon or set up a new website every year. It means how can you level up your business and life over time so your list of things you’d keep gets longer than the things you’d change each year.
Question #4: How did the past year make you feel?
Tapping into emotions can be difficult for many of us, but it’s worth it when you’re in the reflection stage of goal planning. Why? It helps you see what made you feel good, bad, and where you might need to make changes.
Pull out your paper planner or digital calendar, or even your appointment books, and just flip through. When a certain date, client, or appointment triggers an emotion or memory, write it down. (Leave judgment at the door here too.) What made you feel this way? What can you do to support yourself when you feel low and what can you do to keep your happiness consistent in the next year?
Question #5: Are you on the path to the wealthy life you dreamed of when you joined the industry?
This is the question, friends. Be honest…are you on your way to achieving the life of working less, making more, and living the life full of love, health, time, and money you dreamed of?
Chances are a yes or no immediately popped into your head when you read that question, right? Trust that intuitive answer.
If you answered no, what can you do to start getting on track? Do you need more education? Community? Financial advice? (We have a great tool to help you get started right over here!)
If you answered yes, what can you do to keep moving forward on that path? How can you stay focused on your plan to achieve that life and ignore all the shiny things life throws in your path? How will you reward yourself at each milestone?
If your honest gut answer was I have no idea, that’s okay! Take our Stylist Archetype quiz to get a sense of where you are in your journey and a few ideas to help you get started down that path.
You did it, friends! You completed the five fast, in-depth questions to reflect on your past year. All the reflecting and troubleshooting you just did will help you make the next year even more productive and balanced, and make your new year goals all the more achievable.
Next, schedule time on your calendar to start building out those goals. You’ve got this!