You have decided to make 2021 a year of growth. If you’re following our suggestion, you have written to a trusted few, to get insights on what matters most for your performance and growth. The second letter got it out in the open: you've created external accountability to deliver on that development, while building supporters. While giving others permission to call you out if you slack and give you feedback on the progress.
This is the last of the three letters that we ask you to write before the Year End. If you care… about your development, about your growth, about how you continuously get better. Seal the deal with one final letter. A letter to yourself.
Dear [insert your name here],
This year I decided to do something towards my professional growth. At the start of a brand new year, and following a uniquely challenging one, it seemed only right that I took some time to think about achieving my goals.
This year, I decided to focus on (insert your development focus here) and set myself a goal to build my skills in this area in 2020.
I was brave. I took a risk. I asked for insight. I shared my commitment to increase my accountability.
This letter is to congratulate me on a job well begun. As I write this, I may not know exactly how I will develop. Or how I will deliver on my promise. But growth is inevitable. I have given myself the best possible chance, by tapping into proven strategies for success: getting feedback from a credible source, goal setting for improved performance, and personal accountability to guarantee change.
And even before I began I was ahead. I’d taken the time to be intentional and focus on my development.
So here’s to a brand new year! May it build on everything I learned in 2020 and bring me growth and success.
From (And insert your name here!)
Now, whisk out your smart phone and set an alarm to remind yourself to read this letter again on December 31st, 2021. Let this be another opportunity to feel proud of what you will have accomplished in a year's time.
Go. Give yourself an edge.
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