5 Year End Tasks: #2
Task #2 is to brainstorm about your lists from yesterday. What brought you joy and what brought you stress in 2024? How can you flip that script in the new year?
On my stress list, I discovered give away my time to efforts that may not bring me any personal or professional returns. Over the years I have been regularly active in the agriculture industry. Many of those volunteer efforts have provided me with knowledge about the industry or contacts that I have been able to lean on for advice or guidance with a business problem. Peers and professionals alike have become friends and trusted advisors to me. Without participating outside of my farm, I know I would not be where I am in my career and certainly would not have grown as a person without those experiences. But along the way I have said yes when I was not truly aware of the cost of my time or the lack of returns.
During my calendar audit I found two such volunteer responsibilities that I will say no to in 2025. I am a 110% effort, or nothing type person. If I do say yes, I give it all I have. When I see no results from my participation or no returns personally it must be a no. As the quote says, “If it ain’t a hell yes, it’s a no!” Not sure who to credit for that but I love it and try to live by it! I have always tried to let a responsibility go when I added a new one - and I have not been doing that very well the past couple of years. So, I have some tough calls to make to exit my position on a few activities for 2025. But no time like the present!
Other items I need to work on are protecting my work time in the office. I will be utilizing time blocking on my calendar for more focused and uninterrupted time with my door and email closed and my phone on do not disturb. I will also try to pick one day a week for meetings with other people that I need to interact with for our business. It is farmer meeting season, and we do have more traffic through our office during the winter months. Because of items on my joy list that need more attention I must set boundaries for my time during work.
On my joy list were wonderful things like weekends or nights with my husband, friends, or family. Taking time for my health appointments or self-care…can you say massage? I plan to have more of this in 2025. To be available for these, I cannot work all weekend so therefore the time blocking and boundaries above. I also want more time to be still. I am a person that requires quiet time to recharge. There is a lengthy list of books I have not gotten to and also creating content for this blog. It is a stretch goal (no pun intended!) but I would love to build a yoga practice. I know I need flexibility and the meditative portion sure would not hurt me one bit!
Reviewing and making notes on the past year helps me prioritize my intentions for the new year. Next up is naming a word of the year to keep me on track.