Best Practices: My Top Three Year-End and Year-Forward Assessments
Everyone knows that this is a slow week for work ... unless you work in retail and there is a mad, crazy 75% off sale. For me, I am using the time to clean up my legal files, assess the deadlines for the next three months, evaluate what went right in 2009, contemplate what went wrong in 2009, and plan better for 2010.
With so many ways to attack this evaluation process, I want to share with you my top sources of evaluation (in no particular order):
For career development ... Cordell Parvin is a fellow Richmond Spider (...although a few years before me...) and former construction attorney. I came across Cordell's name about 6-7 years ago when I was contemplating a move to Dallas, Texas and I reached out to fellow law school alums. While that venture did not turn out, I have kept in touch with Cordell regularly through his books, blog, and Tweets. While you can find a lot by browsing his blog, my favorite year-end posts include:
- Why You Should Create a 2010 Plan ... Cordell has a webinar on this topic today.
- Practical Tips on How to Do Year End Planning
- And today's post about Planning at the 50,000 Foot Level
For balancing family and career and life ... sure you have your Zig Ziglar's, your John Maxwell's, and even your Rick Warren's ... but my favorite, local, "living-life-right" model is Nashville's own Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing. I first started following Michael's blog, Leading with Purpose, at the beginning of this year when I revved up my career planning and life assessment. Michael is a model husband-father-businessman-leader, who Tweets about leadership and life. Here are a few of my favorite posts, including the year-end assessment:
- Seven Questions to Ask about Last Year ... the Year Ahead post is expected soon.
- Five Characteristics of Weak Leaders, which gives you a look at how not to lead.
- Two Approaches to Influencing the Family ... notice that Michael likes numbers!
For sheer motivation ... speaker and author Andy Andrew challenges you to evaluate the importance of halftime. As for me, this week is my "halftime" moment and the second half is about to begin. The year 2010 presents some great opportunities for my career, my family, my community and my church. How about you? I know. I have lived them, too. The past few years have been tough. But the best years lie ahead.
What are you going to do to make 2010 different? ... or better yet ... What are you going to do to make a difference in 2010?
Excellent points! For me 2010 will be a year to strengthen relationships and work on establishing myself within the legal community. Cordell's blog is an excellent source of information regarding how to make what can be a very daunting task of setting goals an easy step by step process. I wish you and your family all the best in 2010.
Thanks Rich! Let's make sure we touch base early in the new year to chat about your future endeavors. All my best, Matt