Review

I had my mid-year review today with my manager. I've been blessed with the opportunity to work with three of the organization's most respected and dynamic leaders, and they have all been awesome managers, coaches, and role models. As such, I've always looked forward to performance review discussions... seriously! It was my first review with my current manager who I only started reporting to in January and all went well. I've had a jam-packed first half of the year and am on track to meet the year's significant goals. We took note of things to prioritize in the coming months, and also discussed my development plan.

I'm also about to start my personal "performance review" - if I may call it that. I've been going on an annual silent retreat during the Lenten/Easter weekend since 2006 and it has been one of the best gifts I've given myself. It's a time for me to get away from the world, go on a "vacation with the Lord" as Fr. Thomas Greene, SJ calls it, enjoy the grand silence, and take stock of where I am in my life, my goals, and my bucket list of dreams. It has also been a good time to plant seeds for writing ideas. The last five years have been semi-directed, with the help of a spiritual director; this year, I will attempt to do a self-directed retreat. I'll set my own pace, my own itinerary, and my own reflection points. I've found really helpful resources online to get me started, and I am really excited for this much-deserved me-and-God-and-Universe time. Much like my earlier review, I'm hoping to revisit my priorities and design my personal development plan.