Retrospect

Every time a year draws to a close, a lot of people start saying something like “Oh, how time flies…”. Mostly, it is used in a slightly sniveling fashion – as if those people might have missed something. I guess that´s why they show all those year-end retrospectives on TV. But then, they invite all these VIP and VEP (Very Exceptional People) – and at the end of the day, one´s own life might seem insignificant in comparison.

So why not create your own personal year-end retrospective?* Why not have a look at what really happened in those last 365 days?

Merry Christmas and happy new Year!

One year consists of 8760 hours! I have…

Big Chunks

• worked +2000 hours for Bertelsmann (weekends/holidays etc. are subtracted already)
• slept +2300 hours (less than intended)
• travelled +150.000 km

Need to Talk

• written 11 articles for professional journals
• written 2 book chapters and gave 2 interviews that will be published in books (mostly to be published in 2014)
• written 26 articles (or gave interviews) for online media and blogs
• gave 5 interview for print magazines/newspapers
• published 53 articles on “Rosige Zeiten”, my German blog
• published 5 presentations on Slideshare
• written ??? social media posts (Are you kidding me?!)

Working with real People

• lectured 9 days at International School of Management (ISM) Dortmund
• coached about 60 hours
• gave 14 speeches/presentations
• had one of the coolest moments of my life at WHU Euromasters 2013

New Beginnings

• started to study (surprise, surprise…) positive psychology (and therefore spent 22 days in the U.S.)
• started the blog Mappalicious (surprise, surprise…again…) and written 62 articles (including this one)
• published 5 articles as “Digital Leader” via lead-digital.de
• bought an acoustic guitar, taken 7 lessons and practiced about 10 hours (definitely not enough)

Endings

• quit the gym subscription (I work out at home now…)
• quit the illusion I could ever regain the body of my 20 year-old self

Not so nice

• managed to let somebody steal my briefcase including my laptop, cell phone, and keys
• not been in the German GQ even though I should have been in there
• lost approx. 2 square inches of hair (please see photos)

Very nice

• been promoted at Bertelsmann

Personal Stuff

• said “I love you” +365 times (not every day, but several times on some of the days)
• canoodled with my son approx. one million times
• read +80 good-night stories (definitely not enough, please refer to kilometers travelled)
• had approx. 700 cappuccinos and 5 kg chicken tikka
• been to 5 metal concerts and one opera premier

My New Year´s resolution: having myself cloned!

So, how might your very own year-end retrospective look like?

* Please excuse the fact that a lot links in this article will lead to German sites. I´ve really just started publishing in English this year – so most of my stuff is still in German…