As 2021 comes to a close, we take this time to reflect. Of course, as leaders we tend to think about the things we did wrong this past year. Likely the first things we often think about are our failures, the bad decisions we made, and the learning lessons that followed. Though these tend to stand out, it’s important to remember all of the good that happened this year as well.
Both sets of reflection are important because ultimately, it helps to establish a useful feedback loop of making mistakes, learning from them, and then applying the lessons to future decisions in years to come.
Take a moment to ask yourself the following: “Am I still on the path to where I want to go in the next few years of my life?”
Be sure that the decisions you make today will help you get closer to where you wish to be and the goals you want to achieve.
If the answer to that question is “no,” take a moment to consider what happened to get you to this point. It could be that you missed targets this year or failed to achieve your goals you set for yourself. Whatever the reason, consider why it happened instead of beating yourself up immediately. Then, formulate a plan for the upcoming year so you can do things differently and reach your desired outcomes.
Failing to audit and assess has consequences. Your future is based on past decisions, because those past decisions will continue to repeat — unless there’s change.
One way to establish change is by setting up a plan for the entire next year. A surefire way to stay on course is by staying the right path, and with an entire year mapped out, you can’t stray away. Meet with your leadership team, set targets, and see where you, your team, and your law firm can grow and achieve.
Constantly ask yourself the following:
- What could I have done better as a leader?
- Where are the areas for improvement for me?
- Which types of habits worked well and which ones didn’t?
Asking yourself the tough questions is a good opportunity for adjustment and to set yourself up for success. That means putting a plan in place, learning from past experiences, and ensuring you never make the same mistake twice. All this is your responsibility as leader of your law firm.
When you own your outcomes, you take accountability — and only then can you consider yourself a leader.
Being a leader isn’t all fun and games. Oftentimes, it means working long hours, late nights, and even weekends — whatever it takes to set yourself and your law firm up for success. It’s a selfless act if you do it right.
This is why self reflection is so important, to continue to keep things running smoothly.
Even if you had an amazing year, you can still take a moment to ask yourself the same questions. As we’ve learned time and time again, there’s no such thing as perfection. If you challenge yourself to look deep within, you can find ways to improve even more.
There’s always a lesson to be learned, so make sure you’re looking for those whenever and wherever possible. If everything you do doesn’t set you up for success in the next day, month, year, and five years, then it’s time to rethink your process.
Here’s to a prosperous year in 2022. See you soon!
