💸 Get Clarity and Confidence with Yearly Reviews + MacBook Giveaway

Hi,

In this Friday edition of Sidepiece, we're sharing the not-so-secret, secret weapon for success.

In Today’s Newsletter

• Life reviews and success

• The best reviews to take stock of your year

• 🤫 2024 Referral Giveaway - Win a MacBook Air, cash and other prizes

What sets super successful and confident people apart from the not-so-successful?

The usual suspects include having an elite network, natural talent, and being born rich. While this is generally true, it's a waste of time to focus on what we can't control.

Now that's out of the way, let's talk about what it is. It's something more attainable -- confidence and clarity.

Do you know what you want? Do you know how to get it?

Do you live your life with purpose?

Let's look at a non-work, money example to talk about what this matters. Have you ever been standing in a crowded place and got stuck behind a confused person?

Someone staring at their phone, trying to figure out either where they want to go, or how to get there?

I try to be a patient person, but it can be enraging. Particularly if you know where you want to go and know they are the only thing standing between you and freedom.

Or, when you're trying to figure out where to eat with your significant other or an indecisive friend.

There's nothing less cute than an indecisive adult. (I apologize if you are the indecisive person in your relationship. No hate, I swear).

So, why is this so irritating? The presence of indecision can reek of self-doubt and insecurity. This, of course, is not bad in itself, but it makes me want you way less on my zombie apocalypse team, at my company, or at dinner.

Self-doubt and insecurity are very real. And, they afflict everyone. Even the most successful entrepreneurs, artists, and athletes.

But, the reality is when we let our indecision get the best of us, it makes people nervous about trusting us. People we need and desperately want to trust us -- our partners, teammates, clients, and friends.

Imagine what your life and work would be like if you were the person who always knew what they wanted. How easy would it be to inspire people? Gain admiration? And sleep better at night?

While this will take a lifetime to develop, there's a tool that most confident among us use to get clarity.

That's the Yearly Review, a series of questions that guide you to reflect on what went well and what didn't.

Use this information to make changes, set smarter goals, and work towards what matters to you in life.

Why Yearly Reviews Matter

They help with clarity. They give you a chance to check yourself. To ask, am I making progress towards my vision? Am I moving with purpose? Am I making choices that align to who I want to be and what I want to accomplish?

How do you conduct an effective annual review? The nice thing about this is that it's personal. You can reflect in any way you want, and as often as you want.

The only thing you need to focus on is telling the truth. Your truth, but also objective truth.

For example, you may have thought or felt you worked incredibly hard on a project. That's wonderful, but would your client or boss say the same thing? Your truth - I thought I did a good job.

The objective truth might be different. Perhaps, you didn't get tangible results for the company, turned in subpar work, or were difficult to work with.

Celebrate Successes and Learn from Mistakes

Reviews move you to get real about what happened. To see your impact, opportunities, and challenges truthfully. To learn from your mistakes and start building a plan to make your life what you want.

How do you know if you've been successful? You are clear about what you want, you believe you can achieve it, and aren't afraid to go after it.

Here are a few different reviews, I recommend.

1. Past Year Analysis: Use the Annual Life Review and Farnam Street’s Guide. They help you evaluate your year systematically.

2. Goal Setting: The Ultimate Annual Review is ideal for crafting SMART goals. This makes your objectives clear and actionable.

3. Holistic Approach: The Personal Balance Scorecard ensures your goals cover professional achievements and personal well-being.

4. In-depth Reflection: Tools like the 7 Reflection Questions encourage deeper thought. They align actions with core values.

5. Planning Ahead: YearCompass aids in mapping out the coming year. It prepares you for new challenges and opportunities.

6. Learning from Others: Insights from Sahil’s Annual Review offer practical tips. They show how others tackle their reflections.

7. Creative Reflection: The Isolation Journals offer unique prompts. They help explore different life aspects creatively.

Good luck!

Nicole

p.s. In 2024, we’re launching a referral giveaway. More details next week, but you can get a headstart to enter by referring friends to the Sidepiece email today. We’ll count them towards your overall numbers.