The #IdealistNewYearNewYou Challenge | Reflect on Your Successes

Back by popular demand, allow me to (re)introduce the #IdealistNewYearNewYou challenge!

In January of 2019 (remember that?!) over 600 members of the Idealist community committed to complete one career-related challenge each month for the first five months of the year. Thanks to plenty of new interest (not to mention at least one big success), we've decided to reboot the challenge ahead of 2024.

Each week, we’ll share new career-focused prompts right here on Idealist Career Advice that are designed to help you reflect on, envision, build, or grow your dream social-impact career. Whether you’re feeling stuck in your role or want to expand your network, there’s sure to be a prompt that will help you discover new horizons, connect with past co-workers, or recommit to your career journey.

Are you ready to join the challenge?! Here we go!

Challenge #1

Each day for the next five days, set a timer for five to 10 minutes. Use that time to write one detailed description of a professional achievement from this past year.

Why it matters

While so many of us are busy brainstorming New Year’s Resolutions and dreaming up new goals to tackle, it’s also smart to take a break from all of the planning and dedicate some time to good ‘ole reflection. In fact, reflecting on your professional successes can benefit you in myriad ways—here are just a few:

• Reflection turns events into genuine learning opportunities about your values, goals, strengths, and areas for growth.
• Writing down a reflection allows us to look at an achievement from a variety of angles and perspectives. It gives us a chance to ask "why?" as well as "how can I build on that event?"
• Developing your reflection muscle can make you a more attractive mentee for a potential coach or mentor.

Additional resources

• The Art of Designing Your Career
• Reflective Writing for Work-Life Balance
• 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Your Next Performance Review

Okay, that’s your prompt for this week! Stay tuned for the next #IdealistNewYearNewYou Challenge, which will be focused on all things professional development.