It’s Time to Wrap up 2021 and Put a Bow on it!

December has arrived surprisingly fast this year, and before the New Year’s Eve ball drops, it will be time to wrap things up for 2021.

From a strategic level, do you have your key initiatives identified for 2022, your budget requested (and hopefully approved!) and the right people in place to make it happen?

From a tactical level, are there things you need to do before you check out for the rest of the year? From completing expense reports, to cleaning out the never-empty In Box and filing paperwork, this quieter season is a great time to get administrative tasks done so you can make a fresh start in the new year.

And to prepare for performance review season, look back on what you wanted to accomplish this year. Did you meet those goals? If so, how did you meet them? Was there something you did differently this year that led to your success? And if there were some goals you didn’t achieve, what were the roadblocks that kept you from being successful? Thinking through the elements that led to your success, are some of those techniques you’ll want to use again in 2022? Looking at the roadblocks you encountered, challenge yourself to think through if there was anything you could have done differently that would have led to a better outcome. Use your 2021 accomplishments as a learning experience of what you should replicate – or change – in 2022.

From a professional growth perspective, take stock of what you did this year to continue to move your career forward, and spend some time thinking about what you need to do to continue being on top of your game in 2022. You could identify some books you want to tackle that will open your mind strategically; research into classes you can take that will keep your skills fresh; join a professional organization (and pledge to be actively involved in it); or find a mentor or professional coach. You don’t need to do all of these things, but I challenge you to pick just one of these things and do it in 2022.

Finally, think about people who helped you professionally this year. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to recognize their contributions to your success, or words of wisdom (even if difficult to hear at the time) that you embraced and led to better results. Expressing your sincere appreciation and gratitude for the people who have helped you achieve your goals is the right thing to do and is always appreciated. So as you wrap up 2021, reach out to those people who contributed to your success this year and thank them. You’ll be happy you did so.

Taking a critical assessment of your professional achievements this year – and expressing gratitude to those who helped you along the way – will put you in an excellent position to be successful in 2022. Finish up the year strong and put a bow on it!

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