time for annual reflection
An annual reflection can help keep you from stuffing around when you get back into the studio after the new year or a lengthy break.
October 2022 found Bill and me edging from a 10 month grind of living in the midst of a chaotic home repair. I had closed my studio so I could project manage the repair and restoration of half the floors in our home.
As were were finishing, I knew it was time for an annual reflection so I could examine what transpired in 2022 in order to prepare for the best life personally and in my art studio.
I’m showing how I performed my an Annual Reflection of 2022 last year in order to prepare for 2023.
To do this, I’ve adapted the Momentum Planner system created by Charlie Gilkey at Productive Flourishing.
Past year achievements
First, I examined the achievements I’d noted from my reviews of each month and quarter of 2022. They would have been noted are at the bottom of both documents throughout 2022.
Personal Achievements
- I liked the results of my design and project management of our home restoration.
- Bill and I remaining on good terms during and afterwards was equally important.
professional Achievements
- I was pleased I had closed my studio so I could focus on restoring our home.
- Choosing to make the full leap into abstraction has ben a game changer!
Things that challenged me
personal challenges
- Living on site during the repair of our home, compounded by exposure to the winter cold because of builder delay, was a huge challenge.
- Not letting circumstances get to me was a daily choice. Read “When Life Gets in the Way of Creating Art” by clicking here to learn about how I’ve learned to overcome.
professional challenges
- Getting kicked off Facebook and Instagram was a monumental challenge because…
- My newly redesigned website was no longer relevant.
- These two factors made it impossible to continue the promotion I had launched just a few days before I was kicked off the Metaverse. To read more about that, click here.
Lessons learned or reaffirmed
Personal Lessons
- The biggest lesson was stop griping when things got tough.
- My problems are first world ones. Every one of them!
- Small steps forward every day do get you to where you want to go.
Professional Lessons
- Your personal and your professional life are inextricably bound.
- It’s okay to adjust your professional timeline.
- Don’t build your business around any one social platform.
Design studio time for a
productive year
Five part series by Beverly Claridge.
Click a box to read or watch video.
people who helped me
Personal Key people
- Bill was my key person..
- The builder. In spite of the unfortunate delays, he present us with a well-constructed beautifully repaired and remodelled home. I couldn’t ignore his contribution.
professional Key people
- Professionally, my biggest cheerleader and support has always been Bill!!”
what i wanted to achieve next year
With my Annual Reflection of 2022 completed, it’s now time to look forward to 2023. So, I now grab my Annual Reflection-Looking Forward document.
personal goals
- Finish the interior detailing in my home.
- Get fit and eat right.
- Take care of myself emotionally.
professional goals
- Relaunch my YouTube channel..
- Redesign of my website.
- Successfully engage on YT and my website.
Things needed to change
Personal changes
Weekends working on interior finishes would be required.
A new diet and exercise regime was needed, and…
I promised myself to work less and make sure I took care of myself.
Professional changes
- Make several videos ahead of relaunch.
- Get my website up and running well before relaunch.
- Seek to learn more about engagement on YouTube
Preparing for change
What preparation, or steps, would I need to make the desired changes.
Personal Steps to take
- I needed to research diet regimen, exercise programs and self-care ideas.
- I’d relax by choosing an assortment of classic books read.
Professional Steps to take
- Make preliminary idea boards for videos and blogposts.
- Create rudimentary idea boards for my website.
- Watch YouTube Creator Channel videos about engagement.
Ready to craft a workable plan for next year
With my Annual Reflection completed, I had all the information needed to make my overall plan for the next year, which I’ll show you in the next blog post.
Does this all seem like too much?
I know this all sounds like a bit of work to get to the point to where you can craft a plan for next year.
And, it is, which is why I do it in short 20 minute bursts throughout the week until it’s complete. Also, the more I do this review annually, the easier it gets in the subsequent years.
then why do it?
An Annual Reflection helps me step into my studio in the new year confident of my direction. It will do the same for you.
what to do if life is simply too full on right now.
If life is too full on at the moment, doing the following two exercises can give you a push forward when you get back into the studio next year:
- Take time to discover your why, and
- Reflect upon your hits and misses in the past year in your art practice.
Click here to read “Creating Your BHAG” to learn more about creating your why. You can watch the video version of this current blog post down at the top of the page. In it I also show the beginning steps of making “Rhema Meditation”.
