Reflecting on your career journey and accomplishments

By Maxwell Brooks, Learning Well education manager

When my children were young, I received valuable advice about how quickly time passes. It wasn’t easy to grasp at first, especially during those seemingly endless days and nights filled with childcare duties. Eventually, I realized that a year can indeed fly by, just as other parents had warned.

A similar phenomenon occurs in our professional lives, albeit with (hopefully) fewer tantrums. At the beginning of a new year, I eagerly anticipate the months ahead, creating longer to-do lists with the belief that I have ample time to achieve everything. However, before I know it, winter turns to spring, summer passes by, and autumn transitions back into winter. The cycle repeats itself, and I risk not fully appreciating, celebrating, or learning from the experiences I’ve had.

Recently, my supervisor treated our team to lunch, emphasizing the importance of mindful reflection and connection. She also shared insights from Harvard Business Review and Forbes contributor Christopher Littlefield about avoiding “The Gap Trap.” This trap occurs when we focus too much on what we didn’t accomplish, neglecting to recognize our achievements.

During our lunch, we focused on our accomplishments. We went around the table and shared our pride in our teams and ourselves. We talked about the things we did, our growth, and the opportunities that lay ahead. We consciously redirected the conversation when it veered toward our perceived shortcomings. We laughed a lot, cried a little, and left the meal with a renewed sense of energy and purpose. Without that lunch or something similar, it would have been easy to catapult out of this year and into the next without appreciating what we accomplished.

As this year ends, I encourage you to allocate time for reflection and celebration for yourself and your team. Consider the projects you initiated or completed, the exciting ideas that took shape, the new skills you acquired, and the moments that made you proud or energized. Reflect on the challenges you overcame and the support your team provided. Are there goals that inspire you for the coming year?

Of course, you can create a separate space to discuss what you wish you had done differently or learned from perceived mistakes. But for now, focus on celebrating your achievements. You might be surprised by how many there are and how differently you and your team will feel about the year gone by and the one ahead. Why not start now? The next year will pass in the blink of an eye.