As the year winds down, take time to evaluate your hits and misses
By Annette Richmond
 As the old year winds down, it's natural to begin planning for the new year. But, before you sit down to write next year's goals spend some time evaluating the last twelve months.
As you look back on 2004, make sure to congratulate yourself on your accomplishments. Think about each time you stepped out of your comfort zone and succeeded. Finally, evaluate your slip-ups too. Those situations that didn't turn out exactly the way you had planned.
Between going to parties and shopping at the mall, consider where you are today and where you'd like your personal and professional lives to be by this time next year. Think about what's been working. And, maybe more importantly, what has not. Here are five areas to consider.
Relationships - How's your network? Most people think of networking as handing out business cards or calling everyone they know when they're looking for work. The secret to having a network that works is to continually nurture your existing relationships and develop new ones. The holidays are a great time to reach out to people you've lost touch with. Take a minute to wish them well.
Growth - What lessons did you learn this year? Everyone makes mistakes; unfortunately many of us focus on what went wrong instead of what we learned from the experience. Next time concentrate on what you'll differently the next time. Everyone falls from time to time. What's important is how you recover.
Image - What does your appearance say about you? Not all professions require a suit; still, every office has some type of dress code. Wherever you work cultivating the right image is essential. Start by evaluating the successful people in your office. Next spend an afternoon going through your closet and making a list of what you need. After holiday sales are a good time to pick up the items you're missing.
Knowledge - When was the last time you took a class? Or picked up a book? One of the best ways to change careers or get ahead where you are is to continue your education. Take a company-sponsored seminar. Enroll in a night class. Spend some time at your local bookstore (visit our Bookstore for a few ideas). It's never too late for an old dog to learn a few new tricks.
Stress - How often do you relax? No kids, no errands, no work. While most of us can't imagine a 9 to 5 workday, 24/7 doesn't work either. At least not for long. One of the best ways to manage stress is to make time for exercise, entertainment and rest. Schedule down time just as you do work hours, it's just as important.
As you look back on 2004, be careful that you don't fall into an exercise in self-bashing. Everyone has missteps. The key is to celebrate your triumphs. Learn from your disappointments. And move on.
If you're honest, evaluating where you are can help you move forward. After all, it's easier to get where you're going when you know where you are. Happy Holidays!
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