“Welcome back! I hope you all had a great summer, and that you’re refreshed, and charged up for a great end of the year.”

Before jumping back in to work, I though it would be worthwhile to share reflections from vacation. After all, time off from work is one of the most valuable tools each of us has, to recharge, get new ideas, to think about new directions and what we really want to accomplish with the time ahead of us.

As I took some time out to sit on the beach and watch the surf roll in and out, my thoughts drifted from the past, to the present and the future.

It’s good to take stock of how we’re doing with work, relationships, and our own personal sense well-being. Looking back can also be a way to figure out the future, by thinking about what’s worked, and what hasn’t. The present, and how we feel about how things are going, can either be a wake-up call, or an affirmation. And the future is all about chasing our dreams, or at least realistically laying out what we want to try to accomplish in the time we have in front of us.

That said, I’m looking for feedback from all of you. And, I’m giving you an opportunity to write down feedback for yourself. Here are some business-related questions.

At the very least, take time to read through the questions. Find a few that seem the most interesting to you. Spend some time thinking about your answers.

If you’re motivated enough, write down your answers. File them away, where you can find them and read them this time next year. Or, use your answers to shape some of your plans for the upcoming year.

If you feel like sharing, please take a minute to drop me an email. Let me know how your business is doing, by commenting on one or more of the following questions. Send your emails to AskAndi@StrategyLeaders.com

Business plans

• What business plans do you have for the next quarter, the next year?
• What do you think has worked in your business, from your past business experiences, and what do you want to change as you go forward?
• Where are you looking for help in your business?

Business reflection

• What is happening in your business that is an affirmation?
• What seems to be a wake-up call?
• What parts of your business do you want to crow about and celebrate?
• What lessons have you learned, from running your business?

Business vacation

• What thoughts did you have over this summer, about your business?
• What insights or perspectives did you gain about your business, as a result of getting some time away?
• What was the most valuable part of getting away, as it relates to your business?
• If you didn’t get time away this summer, what held you back?

Your industry

• How do you feel about the prospects in your industry for 2007 – optimistic, pessimistic, status quo, or wait and see?
• How does your view of 2007, for your industry, and the economy overall, influence what you?re planning to do in your business?

Your relationship to the business

• How has the business served you, up to now?
• What do you want to get out of the business in the next year?
• What do you need or want to get out of the business when you exit?
• How well positioned is the business, to deliver what you want?
• What has to happen, or change, to make your future needs and wants come true?

Thanks for your feedback; looking forward to hearing from everyone, and compiling it into an article in the future. Hope everyone’s vacation was as great as mine has been!

Looking for a good book? Try Harvard Business Review on Managing Your Career by Harvard Business School Press, a collection of reflective articles.