In December, many of us were busy reflecting on what we did for the year of 2023.

Some of us — on a personal level — faced big challenges, whether it was war, interruption, or family matters.

Despite what you might have faced, when you take a minute to reflect, there’s always a lot to celebrate. It doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons for you to be upset, sad, or unhappy. I’m just saying you will be able to find other reasons and moments for happiness, celebrations and movement towards the future.

No matter how sad things look or how unhappy you are, once you reflect on the year as a whole, there are lots of things to find that you could enjoy or at least take a moment to celebrate.

I’ve mentioned this in other blogs — even during war and sad times, you will find happy moments that allow you to keep going with a glimpse of what could be better in the future.

So as you reflect on 2023 and write your annual report, I encourage you to take a moment to read it, reflect on it, think about what you missed, what could have been better, and what you can do this year to continue and build on what you’ve already done.

Some of you might be thinking it’s time to shift gears. You may want to change your career, business, or direction. I encourage you to look at the past and learn from it.

What I have learned from the past is the awareness that your past does not control your future, but it can help you shape a better future.

If you ignore it completely, you might start from the same place you started the year before, and you might fall into the same traps you fell into in the previous years.

In the same time, if you let it guide you all the way, you might never take a chance on a mistake you might have made before. My attitude has always been it’s OK to make mistakes — learn from them! But don’t let them stop you from going through the pathway again with a more cautious approach.

BEFORE YOU GO

We see our blogs as opportunities for dialogue. Please share your thoughts as comments.

1. What have you accomplished in the last year?

2. What do you wish you had accomplished? What will you do this year to make sure you have goals to reach? Set some realistic goals for yourself and as you reach them, think about what you could do to improve them.

3. What tools have you used to keep your eyes on reports of the past and goals for the future?

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Faris Alami is Founder and CEO of International Strategic Management, Inc. (ISM). He works internationally, presenting Exploring Entrepreneurship Workshops and other entrepreneurial ecosystem — related ventures.