So we are into February and everyone has hit the ground running. For most people the holiday season is well and truly over and now the treadmill of activity has turned up to full speed.
I was talking with a Senior Leader and asked her what her plan was for the year. Her response was a very common one; “I really haven’t thought about it, especially with all of the uncertainty from last year.” While sometimes we need a chance to recharge and reset, the challenge can be that we forget to identify what we want to achieve and create something to help us achieve it.
I have a tradition that I follow every year. It is more than a New Year’s resolution, it’s more like a vision setting activity that I use to help guide me and my decisions and actions for the next 12 months. It involves 3 easy steps that you might find helpful.
Step 1: Identify your Mantra
To help guide me I come up with a mantra. A mantra is a word that many cultures use to help guide them and focus. For this year my mantra is ‘To Create.’ For me 2022 is about creating new ideas, new opportunities and new growth (including with a few new clients!) The mantra will be used to help me stay disciplined throughout the year. You can put it up on your wall as a reminder to keep you doing what you know you should be doing.
Step 2: Identify Activity You Need to Take
Once you have your mantra it is important to identify a number of activities or goals that you feel you need to take to help turn this into a reality. For me I have a number of goals including writing 2 books (the 2nd edition of Leadership Hacks and a new one titled Hybrid Workplace Hacks) as well as delivering more keynotes as well as my Leadership Journey Online Leaders Program. By capturing some of the goals and activity you want to take you can start identifying what things you need to start doing.
Step 3: Identify Milestones or Target Dates
To help make some of your goals tangible identify a few milestones and target dates. For me I had a milestone of having my manuscript into my publisher by 10 January (yes I made it!!) I also have a milestone of having 3-5 articles published before the book is launched in July this year.
When we identify milestones, this helps us ensure that some of our thoughts and activities have a target of when we will start or complete. For me I keep these dates light and will shift them if needed, but it is better to have something to aim for, rather than drifting through the year.
This all sounds easy, and it is, unfortunately for many leaders they do not take the time to write it down. A thought or idea is not committed until you do something with it (including writing it down or taking action on it). If you would like a few more ideas on how you can use this process with your people, please feel free to reach out. Remember we only have so much time to make a difference, so don’t let it slip by because you have not identified some of the things you want to achieve this year!
