As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the past twelve months and set intentions for the year ahead. For freelancers, this process isn't just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for maintaining alignment between personal growth, business goals, and professional sustainability.
I use a structured process for myself and the freelancers I coach each year to guide end-of-year reflection and New Year planning. Here’s an overview of that process condensed into a handy guide.
Before diving into your business review, reflect on yourself—the foundation of your freelance journey.
You may be tempted to skip this step and get straight to the business—don’t. As a solopreneur, you are the foundation of your business. If you don’t take the time to reflect on yourself as a human, you will create the wrong goals and pursue the wrong things. You also won’t be as motivated to achieve your goals because you aren’t clear on what you want.
Here’s a simple framework for reflection:
Take it further by revisiting previous versions of yourself—perhaps your pre-entrepreneurial self or the version of you fresh out of school. Ask:
This reflection offers insight into your past and clarity about what you want to manifest in the future.
With personal insights in hand, it’s time to turn your attention to your business. Use the worth-work-wisdom framework to evaluate and plan for the upcoming year.
To understand your worth, you have to evaluate your financial performance:
Work is the structure of what you do. Take stock of the systems that support your business:
Your wisdom is the core of what you do and the unique expertise your business is built on. Reflect on your clients, services, and skills:
Once you’ve reflected and evaluated, it’s time to turn intentions into action.
Before you plan out next year’s projects, you need to refresh your strategy. Check out my complete guide: What Is Business Strategy? A Guide for Freelancers and Independent Consultants.
Once you’ve set your goals, adopt a sprint planning approach:
Reflection and planning are not just exercises—they’re acts of self-alignment and empowerment. As solopreneurs, we rarely take the time to work ON our businesses because we are so busy working IN them.
Give yourself the gift of dedicated time to embrace this process with intention and curiosity. By rooting your goals in a deep understanding of your past and present self, you’ll position your freelance business for sustainable growth and fulfillment.
Here’s to making the next year your best yet!
Ready for better strategy and implementation in your business? Learn more about my agile, community-based coaching methodology.
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