Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday break. As we start off the year, I’ve found myself taking some time to pause and reflect on all the progress I’ve made so far. I’ve been looking back at all I’ve done, as well as my hopes for the new year. I think it’s so important to reflect on our accomplishments regularly. It not only helps us build confidence, but it also helps us figure out what we want our future to look like.
This past year, I wrote and published my first book, which launched as a best-seller. I rolled out new content for DevelopHer to help companies hire and retain more diverse talent, and I started a newsletter for DevelopHer (you can subscribe to it here)!
At work, I published major new features like eBill, which is a paperless bill integration, and I led my team in rolling out an analytics platform. On top of all that, I made sure to prioritize my mental and physical health and take time to rest. Which is critical, especially during these unprecedented times.
When I look back, I feel proud and inspired for the future. I recommend regularly tracking your progress throughout the year and reflecting on it often. But if you’re just getting started, that’s fine too – it’s never too late! In fact, the beginning of the new year is a great time to start.
There Is No Time Like The Present
Write down five things you’re proud of yourself for accomplishing in the past year. Maybe you’re proud of yourself for putting in extra hours at work or for taking spare time to yourself in the week, or maybe even for just making it through another year. You can include anything; just make sure you’re specific. Over time, the practice of tracking what makes us proud or happy can help rewire our brains to see more of the good rather than the bad.
As you start this new year, make sure you’re asking yourself the right questions. First and foremost, ask yourself where you’re at right now and where you’d like to be. Think about where you would like to be in a year. Are you on track to achieve those goals? If not, what can you do starting now to get on track?
Taking small steps consistently is what’s going to set you off on a path toward success.
Prioritize Mental Health
It is also essential to reflect on your life outside of your career. Have you been taking care of yourself mentally and physically? Work burnout is so common nowadays- especially in such a fast-paced industry like tech. It’s critical to make sure you’re prioritizing your mental health and taking the time you need to recharge and reset. The world throws so much at us that it can sometimes feel like the hits never stop coming into our careers and personal lives.
If you feel like you haven’t been taking good enough care of yourself lately, make a plan to take more time for yourself this year. If you’re not in the right headspace, your work and productivity can and most likely will suffer.
Start The New Year Off Right
Prioritizing taking time to pause and reflect has constantly encouraged me to keep pushing forward in my career – and I want the same for you. I have some big announcements coming on my own professional front and new content coming for DevelopHer, so be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to stay up to date on all the latest news.
If you haven’t yet checked out my DevelopHer Membership, it’s a great way to stay connected and inspired by other hard-working women in tech who push one another to grow and reach their full potential. Getting an outside perspective from other incredible women in the tech field can sometimes help give you that extra push you need to further your career. It’s definitely been a game-changing factor for me. Check it out today!
