When it comes to our work, we rely on our company to have a system in place to assess how we are performing, achieving our goals, and creating progress. Some metrics and goals measure and evaluate the different aspects of our work life.
This kind of review can happen yearly or quarterly, and it helps us know if we are on the right track. Yet it isn’t often that we have a performance review on a personal level about our life.
This is an unfortunate event, because even if work is a critical part of our lives. At the end of the day, one of its primary purposes is giving us the means to live. So, besides work, our LIFE is important.
We must remember that our career is only one of the essential spheres of our lives. The five spheres of life include:
- Health
- 關係
- Intellectual Stimulation
- Spirituality
- Work
Why should I do regular life reviews?
There are three main reasons why doing regular life reviews would greatly benefit you in the short and long run:
- Regular reviews can help us stay on track. How often do we sit down and write down our personal goals, probably about once a year. It’s hard to correct our course if we’re only taking time to think about this at the end of the year. Looking at our goals more regularly can help us stay motivated and on track.
- We can identify areas where we need to improve. Revising our progress regularly can serve a double purpose. First, we get to see where we have grown, which can build our confidence. On the other hand, we also get to pinpoint where we still need to grow, and this information leads to our third point.
- We can adjust our plans as needed. Once we know what areas still need work, we can adjust our habits and routines to bring us closer to the goals we seek.
How do I get started on a regular life review?
Regular life reviews are a simple yet powerful way to improve our lives. Time flies by too quickly, and we continue to indulge in habits, behaviors, and routines that don’t serve us or bring us closer to the person we want to become.
Before we get started with some questions, so you can start your own life review. It’s essential to take a moment and create the right mindset. It is not about criticizing ourselves for what we haven’t done. It’s about being open and honest about your success and failures in life.
We are doing the life review to create change, and we must remember change doesn’t happen overnight. It often is a collection of small changes that end up making a big difference over a period of time.
Finally, remember to take stock of the good things. Don’t focus on failures. Take time to celebrate the successes, big and small, that have led you where you are right now. Be grateful and appreciative of the good things in your life.
Here are some questions to get you started (for the questions, let’s focus on the timeline of the last four months):
- What have been some of my favorite moments?
- What milestones have I achieved?
- What are some healthy habits I have going on?
- What obstacles have I overcome? What resources did I use to overcome them?
- What lessons have I learned?
- How do you feel about the quality of the relationships in your life?
- How does your mind and body feel?
- How much time are you devoting to self-improvement? Learning new skills?
- How much time have you devoted to having fun?
Regular life reviews don’t need to take up too much of our time or be complicated, you don’t need an Excel spreadsheet. It’s about prioritizing yourself and taking time to reflect on life and adjust as needed.
Start reflecting on your life review now.
Tiara Hoquee
Psychologist and Emotional Intelligence Coach