A Simple Year-End Reflection for Better Performance: 5 Questions Every Professional Should Ask Themselves
- flaminiavisionfact
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
Author: Marianna Komjáti
For your high personal and professional development the year-end reflection is very important. Self-reflection is one of the most effective strategies for improving. It helps you understand your progress, identify your patterns, and set more specific goals for the future. This exercise is not just to make you feel better, it’s makes you more successful.
Let's explore the five questions that can improve your success and reflection in the upcoming year. In the following article I’ll help you, with five questions to summarize your year and have a clear reflection in any aspect of your life.
The easiest way, with 5 simple question:
In this article I’ll tell you how to make an easy, fast year-end reflection with few question.
You do not need to do anything else, except start to journaling. Take your favourite note-book online or offline and start to answer the following questions. First rule be 100% honest with yourself and write down everything that comes to your mind during this excersie. I made this questions built on my human resources and community development knowledge.
First question:
What achievement am I most proud of this year, and how did it contribute to my role or team?
Start by thinking about situations that made you satisfied this year. It doesn’t need to be a big milestone. It’s enough if you think about a project that you led or a presentation, which went well…etc. To make a reflection more helpful follow the next prompts:
What was the situation? (when, where, with who)
What action did you do? (write down as much details as you can)
What was the impact? (feeling, other actions)
Why is it meaningful for you?
These points help you to guide and see clearly how your work created values and why it matters. It also reminds you, what you did very well.
Second question:
What have I learned about my work style, strengths and areas to improve?
Over time, I have learned that discipline and clear vision across your profession helps you to stay focused. Even when it’s hard, when you are not in the mood or when you feel out of every motivation. Be nice with yourself and make a list, where you write down all of your strengths and areas, where you improved this year. You can make notes about every small detail. I have some questions, which helps you to answer this question really deeply.
What you learned in your company?
Did your work style change during 2025?
Which are those areas where you improved and where you think you should, but you have not yet?
Answering these questions can open your eyes and show you to see your strengths and weaknesses. It’s very important to be able to see your own priorities. The ones, that’s already in your life, the ones which have a huge part of your daily routine. I’ve realized that writing down these skills makes me happy. It makes all of your knowledge visible in a positive way. But also you will be able to see where you should improve. Across the unwritten areas of your professional life. And not to forget, you can always ask for feedback! Other people's opinions help to keep the balance in your personal reflection.
Third question:
Who supported or inspired my growth this year ?
(managers, colleagues, mentors)
First of all, let’s talk about the power of having a role model. I think it’s very important to have somebody that you can look up for. Both in your personal and in your professional life. Be aware how much people affect you. You cannot choose your team, your boss, but you can choose your role-model. And then you have nothing else to do, just follow the example of him/her. It can be an experienced manager, a wise mentor or a creative coworker. It is very important to choose people with the right mindset. Who is not just good at their work, who is also a great person. Secondly, try to make your network stronger, with the people who support you. It means a lot if you have supportive colleagues or any of the team members around you. They are the ones who build you and motivate you again and again with listening to your problems, resolving your problems.
Forth question:
What challenges did I face, and what strategies helped me overcome them?
This year I had several challenges that pushed me out of my comfort zone. I had struggled with my work, my time-management and also some other unsolved conflicts in my personal life. In my opinion, the strategy that helped me a lot was to start a daily journal. I’m not saying that you should spend so much time every day writing down your feelings and goals. It’s more like a professional journal. Which helps you to have better time-management, clear goals, and plans to reach them. For example, I started to make a weekly plan. Which contains the information about when I get up, when I go to work, after work what I want to do and what I need to do. Breaking big tasks for smaller steps. Also reading books or listening to podcasts about psychological, environmental topics helps a lot! There are so many people having the same issues, or very similar. Some of them have already solved them. You can save so much time listening or read their advice.
Fifth question:
What skills or goals do I want to prioritize for next year to improve my performance?
Next year is a good opportunity to become better in your profession, make more clear boundaries in your work place. And build your career better than ever. You can completely change your performance by choosing the right task to prioritize. Strength your communication skills so you can have better connections. Be disciplined, follow your plan, what you made in your journal. Keep the promises, that you made for yourself to succeed your goals. Make a vision board, which are those things, that you want to prioritize. Put it as a wallpaper on your phone or laptop. Somewhere where you see it a lot and always reminds you for your goals. Helps to stay focused and disciplined.
Summary
Work harder on yourself, than on your job. I heard this quotes once and I keep it in my mind. It’s always reminds me, being a good worker is great, but without the good mentality you never became more than an average employee. You will see how much and fast you will grow in your profession, if you start working on yourself. This 5 questions shows you the most important knowledges to make a professional self-reflection.
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