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I Cut People and Activities Out of My Life Each Year - Here’s Why

Writer's picture: Hannah CarverHannah Carver

Updated: Jan 2

Each year I complete an annual year in review to determine what people and activities will make it into the new year.


Ok, we're past the click bait. Also, if you are just here for that free download, scroll down to the big green button!


Each year, myself and some really great friends get together for our Annual Visioning weekend. "Visioning" as we call it came about in 2020 when we found ourselves wanting more intentional reflection and planning than your typical vision board or goals list can achieve. Using a Tim Ferris exercise as inspiration, we created our quadrant method where you categorize people and activities from the previous year into positive and negative quadrants.


As an business owner I find myself juggling a lot so while this sounds cut throat, it has proved to be crucial in helping me surround myself with the key people and activities that are most important to me. This exercise can be applied to your business, your personal life, or both. It can also be performed at any cadence. I find myself coming back to this exercise when I start to feel overwhelmed.


What You Need:

  • Your calendar

  • Your phone photo library

  • A pen 

  • Your quadrants worksheet (below)

  • A glass of wine, preferably Chardonnay

  • Snacks, lots





How It Works:


Review Your Calendar or Photo Library: Delve into your calendar and look back at how you spent your time over the past year. If you're not a calendar person, looking back at your photo library over the past year and taking note of what you captured is a great alternative. 


Identify People and Experiences: As you reflect on how you spent your time, pinpoint the individuals you interacted with and the experiences you had. Categorize them as either positive or negative. We wouldn't be doing this exercise if we weren't empaths with poor boundaries so of course there's a middle quadrant for those that fall in a gray area. Consider this as a sort of limbo where undecided people or experiences reside.


Highlight the Positive: After categorization, circle or highlight the top three to five positive people and experiences. These are the people and things you want to prioritize and embrace in the coming year.


Pre-plan with Intent: Armed with insights from your review, proactively pre-plan with positive individuals and activities. If there’s someone who really made a positive impact on my year, I proactively schedule coffee with this person at a set cadence. If I really enjoyed taking time for exercise, I pre-book weekly yoga classes. This intentional scheduling sets the stage for a purposeful and fulfilling year.


Navigate the Negatives: Now comes the hard part. What about the people and activities in the negative quadrants? You have to start saying ‘No’.  


This intentional planning has shown me the transformative power of saying 'No' to what doesn't align with my goals for the year. Armed with this clarity, I now preplan activities that not only fill my cup, but also support my business goals. It’s important to take care of yourself while trying to balance it all. Many entrepreneurs will share that having time for hobbies and self care are critical to success. As we step into the new year, let this be a reminder: by cultivating a life rich in meaningful connections and purposeful activities, we lay the foundation for a thriving business and a fulfilled self. 

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