As we get closer to the end of the year, people usually start reflecting—or at least I do—on what they’ve accomplished over the past 12 months. I start remembering my sometimes long-forgotten New Year’s resolutions from January 1st and begin piecing together a retrospective of the year. Was it a productive year? Did I accomplish the things I set out to do? Did unexpected events take place? How close did I stick to the original plans?