The Christmas Debrief Leading to a Prosperous New Year

As the year wraps up, picture the past twelve months as a case file on the desk — nothing dramatic, just a folder full of clues, a few wins, a couple of “learning experiences,” and at least one moment where you wonder, “How did that end up in here?”

Christmas is the perfect time to flip through it.

Not to judge yourself — just to quietly admit which decisions were brilliant… and which ones were made before coffee.

A few things worth noticing:

•             What actually worked (and not by accident).

•             What didn’t, despite your heroic efforts.

•             What you’ve outgrown — possibly without realising it.

•             And what you’d happily never repeat again.

Once you’ve done the debrief, it’s worth turning the page and asking a few simple questions about next year — the kind that keep you honest without requiring a full strategic retreat in the mountains:

•             What can I do better — realistically, not heroically?

•             What skills do I need to sharpen so I’m not solving next year’s problems with last

year’s tools?

•             What should I stop doing because it drains energy faster than a dodgy Christmas light?

•             What deserves more attention because it actually moves the needle?

•             And what small habit would make a big difference if I stuck with it for 12 months?

Progress doesn’t usually announce itself with trumpets.

Sometimes it just looks like you, quietly doing the next right thing.

Here’s to a Merry Christmas  — and to a new year with more good clues.

See ya next year.