Those who have joined the corporation of your choice know all about the quarterly or annual review. I feel that I get good feedback every week from not only my managers and co-workers, but also from my clients. The actual review that is filed basically summarizes all of the action from the entire year. This is all good information if completed honestly and with a little effort, so I actually enjoy finding out what I did right, what I did wrong, and where I can improve.
The one flaw in these reviews is that they do not really take into account your personal growth, opinion of the company, and view of your career. I don't know if it is just the end of the year spurring this or not, but I have been reflecting on where I am at in life and my career. Here's some of the questions that I have posed to myself:
1. Above all, are you 100% satisfied with work and life? (If no, explain what could be improved or changed to cause an increase in overall happiness. If yes, you are either the Dali Lama or just a dirty liar.)
2. At the end of a work day, are you satisfied and do you feel like you accomplished something?
3. Do you feel like your work is benefiting others or making their lives better?
4. What have you learned, what skills have you acquired, or what new activity have you participated in to re-invest in yourself?
5. With your current skills, interests, and career goals in mind do you feel that your current place of employment is the right place for this stage of your career?
6. How does your list of priorities rank compared to the beginning of the year?
7. What do you hope to accomplish next in life? Can you do that in your current position and location?
Some of these are hard-hitting questions, but it's good to reflect and consider how your current situation compares to where you thought you would be or where you would like to be. Answering these questions honestly will probably leave you thinking that your current situation is not the greatest, and wishing that you had accomplished more in the past year. Maybe it will spur you to try something new, change it up a bit, or improve in your current position? It could also just turn into another new year's resolution that you don't keep. It's your call, take it or leave it.
