Every leader that I have had the pleasure of working with over the last 30 years believes they will absolutely, without any hesitation, make the upcoming year better than the last. They are not sure how, but they know they will. They have good intentions as the New Year begins, but their commitment quickly wanes as old habits and practices begin unconsciously taking hold. Before they realize it, their aspirations of having the 'Best Year Yet', are long gone and they are focused solely on plowing through the “stuff” in order to complete tasks as close to on time as possible.
Does this feel like your life experience?
Do you often look back at the end of a year and wonder, what did I achieve that was worthwhile, had meaning, and fulfilled me personally?
The end of the year is a perfect time to reflect on the past, but not linger there. It’s a perfect time of year to identify the areas in your life that have been neglected, and yet are in need of your attention. It’s a perfect time of year to design, define, and declare the future you wish to live.
The executives I’ve worked with have learned key lessons from fully engaging in this intentional practice. They’ve learned:
- Doing more isn't better
- Letting go is hard, but worth it
- Accepting it is hard to break old habits because they exist outside of our daily awareness
- Developing new habits take time, effort, and repetition
- Creating a rhythm for reflection is a non-trivial action that has a direct impact on overall satisfaction in realizing desired goals
What follows is a framework for a learning session you can do on your own. It mirrors the more in-depth session I lead leaders and their teams through that when acted upon has proven to generate extraordinary life experiences making the year the best yet.
Framework for Designing, Defining and Declaring the Best Year Yet
Begin by setting aside a minimum of 90 minutes of uninterrupted time. Be purposeful in selecting the where and when. Removing yourself from the daily chaos and noise will invite new insights and learning which are essential in designing the Best Year Yet.
A day before diving into your session, skim the video, the questions, and the exercise that follows. Notice if you have judgments and opinions that arise; suspend them to the best of your ability. This will take about 15 minutes. Become familiar with the path you have chosen to embark on and recall the reason why you have chosen to invest the time and energy.
Preparation the day of the session is crucial; from the very moment you wake up. Check in with yourself and choose to fully engage. Notice if your inner voice is pushing you forward or pushing you to “opt out”. Take a stand for your future…and choose to “opt in” even if it feels unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Recognize that 90 minutes is not really that long in the large scheme of things and trust that this particular 90-minute block of time will begin to shape a future where this will be the Best Year Yet.
When the appointed time comes, begin by moving into a flow; the state of being where mind, mood, and body are moving in rhythm and with ease.
Settle in. Notice your breath. Our breath is a gift. One that is given to us freely and yet we often take it for granted. Breathe deeply. If you notice your breath is high in your chest, focus on breathing all the way down to your belly. When you’ve settled into a deep, slow your breathing pattern, then begin:
- Watch this 2 minute video at least once and consider all that has been present for you in the 12-months and how you overcame adversity
- Answer the questions that follow
- Write your reflections, don't just think about them
Celebrate: Make a generous list of...
- Special moments you have experienced within the past year (personal & professional)
- Important accomplishments within the past year (personal & professional)
- What you need to acknowledge yourself for, big or small, that maybe you've overlooked
Educate: reflecting on this year's achievements
- What have you learned from the past year?
- What were your top 3 most important business lessons?
- What were your top 3 life lessons?
- How were you/were you acting when you achieved these best results?
Clarify: In order to make this the Best Year Yet, identify and list the 2-3 personal and/or professional goals that will allow you to live in accordance with what is most valuable and important to you
- What do you value in life? (For example: freedom, clarity, collaboration, self-respect, status)
- How do your behaviors and how you spend your time align with your values?
Sequence:
- Map your goals by identifying the small steps that you can begin now
- Commit by setting time aside daily and/or weekly (depending on the goal) to engage in small steps. And stay with it, even if it seems like time isn't on your side!
- Recognize the resources you may need, what you may need to learn, and requests you may need to make in order to fulfill your promises to yourself
- Celebrate daily, weekly, and monthly. There is no such thing as a small win
Visualize: a visualization activity to turn your future into a reality
- Imprint the future in your mind and heart
- Close your eyes as you play this video
- Now open your eyes and watch the video as you envision the future and your Best Year Yet. What do you notice about your mood, thoughts, and the shape your physical body takes? Does it move you into action or something else? Taking just a small step towards the future you wish to have in all that is ever necessary. Take a small step daily and it will seem as if you've magically transformed your life
Finally, don’t delay in creating time to engage in this practice and the small steps that you’ve identified.
You are worth it.
Give yourself permission to expand beyond what you ever thought was possible.
Make you the priority, and you’ll find that within that mindset, others will benefit in ways that you couldn't even imagine.
