Glossary: Groundhog Day Report

Posted Tuesday, May 2, 2023 by Sri. Tagged GHDR

A monthly review that reflects on the progress made on Groundhog Day Resolutions. The format varies based on mood, but typically consists of these sections:

  • Lead-in Summary - a summary of how I thought it went (written last)
  • Reflections on Events - description of how I felt about my progress (or lack thereof)
  • Insights Gained - distillation of feelings into hypothetical causes
  • New Operating Principles - insights that are put into practice to effect a desired change or optimization
  • Goal Modification - changes, if needed, to the GHDR strategic goals.
  • What Else Happened - events and photos that were notable in some way, so future Sri can remember what was going on around that time
  • Next Actions - specific actions to take to improve the process
  • Closing Thoughts - a reiteration of the summary and how the next actions will affect the coming month.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

  • What got done last month
  • Did it meet any of the strategic horizons
  • Did anything tangibly useful get produced
  • Where there any insights that will change the approach
  • new: has the model of my pursuit of "happiness" changed based on any of the events of the past month
  • What comes next, and why?

The reports are posted publicly on my blog. Personally, I tend to be more reflective about my aspirational goals, and therefore set targets on February 2nd and follow-up on the subsequent reports.