Here it is, December 1st, 2025. There’s just a month left in the year. On January 3rd this year, I started a new (“old”) job working with the team at IMP Productions here in DC. It’s been an incredibly eventful year, with ups and downs. I’m starting to take stock of the year that was, and I recently came across a list of 40 questions to reflect on, and I found myself wanting a version that was more meaningful to my work.
Here’s the list I settled on, and I’d love to hear what folks think about it, would take away, or would add:
- What skills did you add to your portfolio this year?
- What’s something that you’re proud of getting started or done this year?
- What’s something you wish you’d been more successful on?
- What’s something (a tool, an approach, a platform) you’re using right now that is really working for you?
- What’s something (a tool, an approach, a platform) you’re using right now that you want to replace?
- Who’s someone that’s making a difference in your organization?
- Who’s someone that you admire in the broader industry?
- Who’s someone that is great to work with?
- Who’s someone that you’d love to work with someday?
- Was there anything you or your department did this year that wasn’t worth the effort?
- Was there anything you or your department did this year that was absolutely worth the effort?
- Did you attend an event this year that made you a better practitioner?
- Did you do any training that resonated with you?
- What from this year would you do differently?
- What’s something you learned from this year that you’re carrying as your standard for next year?
- Was it really the year of {The Linux Desktop | Apple in the Enterprise | AI getting magically useful} or was that just marketing?
- Who did you help this year that made you feel good when you went above and beyond?
- A year from now, I will have done…
- What kept you sane this year?
- What’s something you did outside of work that made you feel good?
Happy introspecting!
Cannonball 