What Have You Learned in the Last Year?

Hi there, welcome to Work Wise! My name’s Octavia Goredema.

I’m the CEO of Fire Memos, the author of Prep, Push, Pivot and the host of the Audible Original series How To Change Careers.

Every week I share insights and actionable steps to help you do your best work and achieve your career goals.

If you’re looking for tips to accelerate your career, click the “subscribe” button above.

Isn’t it wild how quickly a year goes by? Often, we’ll take on a new responsibility, start an important project, or pick up a brand new skill, learning as we go.

And then, we become consumed with delivering the next steps. Unless we’re asked directly, we don’t pause to think about what we’ve learned from this process.

One year ago today, I decided to launch this newsletter.

If you know me well, you’ll know that I actively seek out new challenges. So, after getting some advice on how to do it, I jumped in.  

Pause, Reflect, and Recognize Your Growth

And now, I’d like you to think about a project or new skill you’ve embraced this year.

We rarely stop to think about how much we’ve grown from the struggles, insights, and wins along the way, because we’re so focused on moving forward.

Taking the time to reflect on something specific is a valuable exercise. It provides space for you to assess and understand your journey, and set your intentions for what comes next.

This allows you to spot patterns. Recognize your achievements. Analyze mistakes. And then apply those insights you can accurately aim for what matters most moving forward.

My Lessons from a Year of Consistent Writing

Here’s what I discovered after one year of writing and sharing this newsletter:

1. I love taking on new creative projects. There’s something invigorating about starting with a blank page and I love turning an idea into something tangible. The creative process energizes me, which is why I’m always immersed in a creative project.
2. I needed to stick to a structured process. When I deviated from a set process for each Work Wise edition, I found myself missing my self-imposed deadlines. Process within creative projects often feels boring, but it’s essential.
3. It sharpened my writing skills. Six months after starting Work Wise, I signed a deal to write a manuscript for my next big creative project. At first I didn’t connect the dots, but now I can see that the regular habit of writing the newsletter made my extended writing project so much easier to say yes to and to jump into.
4. It helped me find my voice, and it’s been fun. Writing Work Wise wasn’t just a recurring task for me. It’s something I look forward to, because it became a space to share ideas that were running through my head. That’s been the most rewarding part of this journey.

How to Conduct Your Own Performance Review

So, those are my own takeaways, but are you ready to reflect on your own progress? If so, here’s a simple framework to guide your self-review:

1. Start With a Snapshot

Write down a summary of the last six months or year. This could include milestones you’ve hit, challenges you’ve faced, or habits you’ve formed.

2. Ask Yourself Key Questions

To dig deeper, reflect on these areas:

• What have I learned? Think about the skills, insights, or knowledge you’ve gained.
• What worked well? Identify the habits, strategies, or tools that helped you succeed.
• What could be improved? Be honest about where you struggled and why.
• What surprised me? Often, we discover unexpected strengths or interests when trying something new.

3. Identify Patterns and Takeaways

Review your answers for recurring themes. Are there areas where you consistently shine? Challenges that keep coming up? Use these insights to highlight what you should lean into and what you might need to adjust.

4. Set New Goals

Reflection is powerful when you use it to move forward. Use what you’ve learned to set actionable goals for the next phase of your journey. Focus on playing to your strengths and addressing areas where you want to improve.

Giving yourself a performance review doesn’t have to be a once-a-year exercise. You can choose to set aside time every six months or at the end of a big project to reflect.

Put it on your calendar to ensure it happens. And when you do so, don’t just focus on what needs improvement, take time to acknowledge and celebrate what you’ve achieved.

-Octavia

If you’re a Work Wise subscriber, thank you for making the past 12 months so rewarding for me. I read and respond to every single comment, so if you have an insight to share, or a question for me, let me know.