Have you done well this year?
It’s November already, the evenings are getting darker and the stark realisation that Christmas is just around the corner is upon us.
For many of us, this brings up the question: “what have I achieved this year?”
Cue immediate thoughts of work targets hit, pay increases gained, extra responsibilities taken on and maybe even big personal achievements like buying a house, getting a pet or having a baby. You might even go as far as writing them in a list whilst you listen to Michael Bublé tell you it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
Money is the biggest indicator of success…right?
It’s easy to focus on money or job title as a marker of success. We’re in a world that often gives status to those who ‘do well for themselves’. Unfortunately, the comparison that this creates can be tricky, as we struggle to feel ‘successful’ if others are seemingly achieving more than us, or if nothing ‘major’ has happened in our lives that year.
We can all bring to mind a friend or colleague that did better, earned more, was happier or more successful. Perhaps there are goals that you wanted to hit that others beat you to. But as the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy.
Almost without noticing, over the years I became obsessed with the number on my payslip despite protesting regularly that I wasn’t driven by money….or to be more specific, wealth. It felt like the bigger the number was, the more successful I was at my job – a tangible demonstration of my capabilities.
It never occurred to me to take a moment to figure out what I actually needed and how much would be enough. As a result, whatever I earned was never satisfactory.
Looking at the bigger picture
These days, I keep in mind and am specific about how much is enough and also how much is too much. Yes, there’s such a thing as too much in my opinion – where the cost of earning it outweighs the benefit of having it.
I’m also clear on why I’m being paid in the first place. What is my work’s purpose? Who am I trying to help, and why?
Within that lies some alternative score cards to reflect on the year:
How many people have I helped?
How many talks have I delivered?
How many team cultures have I helped to change?
When I zoom out and look at the bigger picture, not just the number in my bank account, I can get a greater appreciation for what I’ve accomplished. It’s about far more than the money.
Can you change your perspective?
So, while you’re racing to close 2024 and regardless of where you are against your objectives, I challenge you to think on a more micro level.
External validators like targets hit, promotions and bonuses are nice things to have but it’s about more than just the results. Don’t forget to think about the meaningful work and interactions that contributed to the end achievement. The day to day wins and behaviours that enabled the results.
Having clear internal validation that is less reliant on dynamic factors out of your control such as tightening economy and lower client spend should hopefully give a more rounded view of what your achieved this year.
You should also consider the personal achievements where you maybe have nothing physical to show for your efforts. The things that you are privately proud of.
There’s much to worry about in the world at the moment so take a deliberate look and what has worked in the face everything that hasn’t – it’ll be a better list.
Best of luck for the rest of 2024 people.
James P
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james@jamespicklescoaching.co.uk