“Let’s Get One Thing Straight”
You don’t just wrap up the year — you tie that thing up with a bow, label it “handled,” and walk into the next one like you know exactly who you are.
Because the end of the year isn’t just about reflecting. It’s about positioning.
Here’s the truth no one tells us: the way you close Q4 determines how you start Q1. If you’re not walking into the new year with proof of what you delivered, clarity on what you want next, and boundaries around what you won’t repeat — you’re already behind.
Why It Matters
For Black women especially, the workplace isn’t neutral. You can’t assume your effort is being noticed, or that your results are being remembered. You have to make your work undeniable.
This isn’t paranoia — it’s pattern recognition. The system remembers what’s convenient, and forgets what challenges its bias. That’s why an end-of-year strategy isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s a form of professional self-defense — and a power move all at once.
What to Do Before the Year Ends
Collect your receipts. You did the work. Now document it. Don’t rely on memory or your manager’s goodwill. Pull emails, metrics, screenshots, and feedback. Create a short “impact summary” — one page, bullet-style. You don’t need fluff. You need facts. Ask yourself:
What did I fix, build, or improve this year?
Who benefited because I was on that project?
What changed because I was in the room?
- Before you make a single New Year resolution, get clear on what drained you. Look at your calendar, your inbox, your Slack threads. Where did your time go, and how much of it actually served you?
- If you notice you spent more time helping others succeed than investing in your own visibility, that’s not generosity, that’s imbalance. Do a “capacity audit.” Next year, make it a rule: if it doesn’t grow you, pay you, or fulfill you, it needs a hard no.
Schedule your own debrief. Put it on your calendar like a meeting with your future self. You don’t need a “vision board weekend” or a three-day retreat. You need an hour with a notebook and honesty.
Ask:
What am I proud of that I never gave myself credit for?
What didn’t work — and why did I keep doing it anyway?
What do I want next, and who needs to know?
That last question is key. Your next move only matters if the right people are aware of your readiness.
Get your story straight. By mid-January, someone will ask, “So how was your year?” Don’t fumble the answer.
You need a 30-second narrative that makes your progress sound clear and confident. Something like:“It was a strong year. I led [X project], improved [Y metric], and now I’m focused on expanding into [next-level goal].”
No shrinking. No softening. Say it like it’s true, because it is.
Call to Action: Your Year Doesn’t End Until You Say It Does
You’re not just closing the year, you’re closing the gap between the work you’ve done and the recognition you deserve.
So before you log off for the holidays, don’t just tidy your inbox.
Wrap up your wins.
Outline your next ask.
Decide what’s not coming with you into the new year.
This isn’t about doing more, it’s about owning what you’ve already done. Because when January hits, you won’t be catching up. You’ll already be positioned.
✨ Read more career truths, corporate confessions, and curl-powered commentary at: thecorporatecurly.com/blog/career
