{"id":7370,"date":"2014-12-17T10:00:23","date_gmt":"2014-12-17T15:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alifeofproductivity.com\/?p=7370"},"modified":"2021-12-03T20:15:27","modified_gmt":"2021-12-03T20:15:27","slug":"favorite-new-years-ritual-creating-accomplishments-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chrisbailey.com\/favorite-new-years-ritual-creating-accomplishments-list\/","title":{"rendered":"My Favorite New Year’s Ritual: Creating an Accomplishments List"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Takeaway:<\/b> Take 15-20 minutes to make a list of everything you accomplished in 2014. You’ll feel amazing, and even more motivated to keep the ball rolling through 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

Estimated Reading Time:<\/b> 2 minutes, 2s.<\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n

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Every year around this time, with vacations kicking in and work slowing down, people begin to take stock of how the year went and start planning for the next one.<\/p>\n

While setting goals for the new year is important (and I wrote a totally free book on keeping your New Year’s resolutions here<\/a><\/span>), I think it’s just as important to look back on the year and think about what achievements and milestones you’ve already reached.<\/p>\n

I often find myself falling into a trap of focusing only on how I can become more productive rather than looking back on what accomplishments my productivity has already lead to. Goals and productivity are important, but it’s just as important to look behind you at what you’ve accomplished already\u2014your accomplishments are, after all, the reason you invest in your productivity in the first place.<\/p>\n

Enter the Accomplishments List<\/b>. For the last couple of years, in addition to setting a few goals, I’ve made a list of everything I accomplished over the year. The ritual is dead-simple:<\/p>\n

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  1. Set aside 15-20 minutes with only a pen and paper<\/li>\n
  2. Work your way backward through the calendar, and recall all of the great things you did and accomplished over the year<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"calendar\"<\/p>\n

    It’s even more rewarding when you do the ritual with a partner or someone close to you. I recommend trying to come up with at least<\/i> 10 accomplishments or milestones, regardless of how small they are (it’s quite easy once you get rolling). On mine, I keep everything from:<\/p>\n