Questions I ask myself at the start of each year.

Photo by Miikka Luotio on Unsplash

I picked up on David Allen’s GTD methodology sometime ago, in the ’90s email was getting out of hand, and I wanted to tame the beast. I found that Getting Things Done was easy to understand and implement.

But more importantly, the writing around GTD was more interesting. I discovered ways of making decisions in an unhurried way; I suddenly had time on the ball.

At the beginning of each New Year, I ask myself questions to close off the last year and then set up some elements of the one to come.

Putting last year where it belongs:

• Review my list of all completed projects​. (Any likely repeats that I can add to my diary)
• What was my biggest triumph in 2020? (this can be at work, in life or at home).
• What was the smartest decision I made in 2020? You will know the dumbest one, no need to dwell on that.)
• What one word best sums up and describes my 2020 experience?
• What was the greatest lesson I learned in 2020?
• What was the most loving service I performed in 2020?
• What is my biggest piece of unfinished business in 2020?
• What am I most happy about completing in 2020?
• Who were the people that had the greatest impact on me in 2020?
• What was the biggest risk I took in 2020?
• What was the biggest surprise in 2020?
• What important relationships improved the most in 2020?
• What compliment would I like to have received in 2020?
• What compliment should I like to have given in 2020?
• Is there anything else I need to do or say to be complete with 2020?

Thinking about the new year:

• What would I like to be my biggest triumph in 2021?
• What advice would I like to give myself in 2021?
• What would I be most happy to complete in 2021?
• What Travel plans can I fulfil?
• What would I most like to change about myself in 2021?
• What am I looking forward to learning in 2021?
• What do I think my biggest risk will be in 2021?
• What about my work am I most committed to changing and improving in 2021?
• What brings me the most joy, and how am I going to do or have more of that?
• What one word would I like to have as my theme in 2021?

One-word answers work. I find it’s a way of bookmarking the year-end gives me something to write on the first page of my 2021 notebook. I also like to highlight the stress points in my diary, that gives my time to research some important but not urgent decisions for the coming year.

Happy New Year and Good Luck.