I've spent some time in the last two weeks thinking about what I did in 2011, where I succeeded and where I could have done a better job or made better choices.

It's been an interesting process.  Self-assessment is not the easiest thing to do for many people, and I am no exception.  Digging deep within myself to find my true path is not something that comes naturally to me.  My wonderful coach, Elaine, gave me an excercise to do which was very difficult, but which had incredible results for me.  It gave me some major insights into who I am, where I am going, and where I SHOULD be going.

She said that whenever one of her clients has a tough decision to make she tells them to answer 4 questions.  (For clarity's sake, let's assume the decision is whether I should hire a new employee.)  Note:  pay particular attention to the emphasis of the words in each question.

What would happen if I did (hire the employee)?

- Write down 6 answers to the question.

What would happen if I did not (hire the employee)?

- Write down 6 answers to the question.

What would not happen if I did (hire the employee)?

- Write down 6 answers to the question.

What would not happen if I did not (hire the employee)?

- Write down 6 answers to the question.

This might sound easy, but I assure you it is not. By the time I got to the 4th question, I was completely wrung out and could not think any more.  My brain just shut down and refused to cooperate.  She told me to take a break and come back to it the next day when I was fresh.

I will say again that doing this excercise gave me some major insights into what I want and where I want to go next year. I will be sharing these insights with you in the next few weeks, so I hope you'll come back and read what I have to say, and give me your feedback.

I hope you all have a fantastic New Year, and I look forward to seeing more of you in 2012.

(P.S. I hope you'll try this exercise for yourself if you're facing a big decision.  Take some time and go to a quiet place and really think about the answers.  Just replace "(hire the employee)" above with your own decision.)