It’s difficult to remember a year-end by which I’ve been more prepared for the coming 12-months.
Those who follow my personal blog at weekends will know that there has been some soul-searching in answering the question “so what next?”.
The ultimate resolution to take a year to think has been a welcome, if unexpected, outcome.
Last week I enjoyed separate conversations with the other two founding partners of 7connections and came away with a huge sense of confidence about the future.
Today marks the final day of our Get Your Year in Gear (GYYIG) programme.
For the last 12 weeks an intrepid band have been on the receiving end of:
- 31 emails on the subject of personal and professional planning
- 10 transcripts of Phillippa Goodwin interviewing me on the same subjects
- a total of 61 (!) 5-minute video blogs – each morning I’ve been checking in, referencing the material of the week and offering personal observations from The Barrow Bunker or my hotel room
- online access to me via email to ask questions
Our first GYYIG was 2003 and it has been repeated about every 2 years since.
The discipline of programme delivery has been beneficial to me as a spur to get my own act together.
This is the last full working week before the holiday season and I’ll bet that, like me, you are now cramming the activity in to get to the finish line.
There will be little time for thinking and an awful lot of doing – a necessary focus if there are targets to be met and people to be kept happy.
Perhaps over the break, you will be able to take some time out to reflect on 2015 and look forward to 2016.
Here’s a tip given to me by 7connections founding partner Tim Thackrah (and originating with the clever folks at The Strategic Coach in Toronto):
- Morale: start by asking yourself, “what were my 5 best achievements from the last quarter?”
- Momentum: then ask yourself, “what are the 5 areas of focus and progress making me the most confident right now?”
- Motivation: consider “what new things are giving me the greatest sense of excitement going forward?”
- Multipliers: finally, “If I could just focus on 5 things that would be the multipliers during the next quarter, what would they be?”
If nothing else, plan the time for this exercise and see where it takes you.
It’s head down now for the next 10 days to finish everything that needs to be done and complete your professional year.
Stay focused, allow that final adrenalin rush to lift your weary legs and look forward to that marathon medal – another year in the bag.
