Caroline's invitation to reflect, recharge and celebrate to close out the year.
Hello friends,
We are almost at the end of 2024! Setting aside tumultuous political and world events for now, one personal success story I am celebrating this year is launching my eldest halfway into the real world: college. For those of you with older kids, what are some models for being great parents to young adults? And if you’re an adult with incredible parents, what do you appreciate most about them? Please share your wisdom! In the meantime, my husband and I have begun to joke about how quickly the fall semester flew by; especially given how costly it was. “Really? How much is that per month? Per day?” Haha. We’ve come a long way since September when I was in tears, thinking about when I would see him next.
Cheers to all of you who went through your own transitions and transformations this year, and to those of you entering them in 2025! In this last note of the year, I wanted to share just a few inspirations that might help you to reflect, refuel, and look forward as we close out 2024.
Please teach us how to be good parents to young adults
Photo credit: Peter Liu
Cornell Recharge Video
This short 3-minute video titled “Self Care Is a Leadership Skill” is part of the Bank of America-Cornell Women’s Entrepreneurship Certification program curriculum. I laughed when I just rewatched it to check the link, as it was a bit embarrassing to be reminded (by me, on-screen) that being aware of our physical and mental limits and taking care of ourselves so we can be at our best isn’t a luxury—it’s essential. How is it that we make time to charge our phones every day but not our physical and emotional selves?
If you feel up to it, please consider taking some time to reflect on what worked, what didn’t work, and what you learned as you move into the new year. This year, I noticed something new—several of my clients declined to do year-end reflections, saying, “I’m only looking forward to next year.” That’s how messed up this year has felt to so many of us! If you’re open to pausing and reflecting before planning for the new year, here is the link for the December 2022 notes, which includes my year-end reflection questions.
+/- analysis worksheet
Plus and Minus +/- Analysis
+ -
I love this little exercise. Take a piece of paper and draw a vertical line dividing it. Put + at the top of the left column and - at the top of the right column. Then go through your calendar and files and list the people, events, projects, and activities that added to your energy bank, and the ones that depleted your energy bank.
How can you use these two lists in 2025 to ensure you are spending the most time on things (and people) that bring you joy or are most impactful to you? Who and what do you want to experience more of in 2025? Start scheduling and making plans now. Who and what depleted you? Can you discard those commitments? If not, who can help you? If no one can help and you must keep these people and activities on your calendar, what can you do for yourself to rest, recover, and refuel? What are the values you are honoring by keeping these commitments?
MiniSWOT Analysis
Earlier this month, I facilitated an energizing offsite for a senior team using a SWOT analysis. SWOT can feel like a business school project from the 90s, but in the current environment, I think it’s still a good practice to regularly pause to reflect on your team or company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and brainstorm creative strategies and solutions for meeting your goals in the changing world. This article for Asana by Alicia Raeburn gives excellent examples and templates if you would like to take a read.
I later helped a coaching client conduct a mini personal SWOT analysis for a fresh perspective on what’s next for her in the coming year. If you decide to do something like this, please don’t stop at list making, and take it one step further to create actionable next steps. Please see below for some useful questions.
What are some themes emerging here?
What strengths would you use to maximize and build on the opportunities?
What strengths would you use to minimize the threats?
What weaknesses would keep you from taking advantage of the opportunities? What weaknesses would make you more susceptible to the threat's identities?
What changes or interventions can you make based on the above?
If there was a publication dedicated to your career and life, what are the headlines you would want to see at the end of 2025? For example,
“I have a new job!”
“I’ve raised $1,000,000 for my project!”
“I finished writing my book!”
“I ran my first marathon!”
Once you have a few that you love; write a short blurb to put a little meat on the story. Then for each headline, come up with 3-5 milestones you can meet over the next twelve months to perhaps make that headline come true.
30-day Project
If you’re considering creating or bringing back some beneficial habits in the new year and would like some company, I have two spots for a free accountability group for anyone who’s on this email list. Starting January 1, 2025, I’ll be kicking off a new 30-day project with a small group of clients and friends who want to commit to doing something meaningful every single day for 30 days. This will be my third year doing such a project.
Here’s how it works: You will choose your own project and let me know what it is. I’ll send a daily email to everyone to keep us on track. You’ll also have the option to share your progress with other participants in the group, adding extra support and accountability. If this sounds like something you’d like to join, let me know soon before the spots fill up! In the past, people in our group worked on writing projects, cooked 30 new recipes, and even made short video diaries. Some practiced yoga or jogged every day for 30 days. Doesn’t this sound good?
Well, this is it for now. I really hope all of us will have the opportunity to rest and enjoy the holidays. Thank you for reading and supporting my work this year. See you in 2025!
Love and peace,
Caroline.
P.S.
Thank you all for the overwhelming interest in the gifted coaching sessions I’ve offered to celebrate ten years of coaching! This year, I was thrilled to gift coaching sessions to eight of you, though many more reached out after spots were filled. With this last note of the year, I would like to gift three more sessions to just two more readers. The same rules apply. Thanks again!
You can be a current client!
You can use these sessions anytime in 2025.
This gift cannot be offered to those who have received gifted sessions in 2024 already.
