Are you Ready to evaluate your 2008 Performance?
I strongly believe that every freelance writer should evaluate their performance from time to time. This is something that I do at the end of every year. By evaluating my 2008 performance I will have an easier time setting goals for the upcoming year. But before you can evaluate your performance you must be organized.Â
Am I jumping the gun? Yes, I know it is only November. That being said, you want to give yourself plenty of time to get organized. If you wait until the last week of December you may find that you are short on time, and in turn you have to push your performance review back to 2009. You don’t want to do this because it is essential that you hit the ground running in the new year.
What preliminary information should you gather? There are three details that I am organizing now so that I can efficiently evaluate my 2008 performance at the end of next month:
1. Income records
2. Client details
3. 2008 goals and progress
With this information in hand I will be able to do two things: accurately evaluate my performance this year, and set new goals for 2009. I take care of both these details at the same time, and you should do the same if you want to stay on track. It is always easier to set new goals after you look over old ones. This gives you the chance to set more realistic goals, while also taking note of what did and did not work for you in the past.
Although you still have a few weeks before the end of 2008, you should begin to think about evaluating your performance for the year. If you begin to organize the proper information right now, you will find the process much more enjoyable when the end of December rolls around. Remember, the new year is right around the bend!Â
