Welcome to 2018! I’ve observed that the way we enter the year can have a strong impact on how the year unfolds. This year I offered all my clients a New Year’s gift on our initial calls these past few weeks. I asked them to become intentional as they envision the year ahead. We can’t choose what happens to us, but we can choose our attitudes and beliefs. When we have clarity of intention around what matters, we can weather the tougher times when they do show up. Like a compass, we can guide ourselves back to our true north
I began by inviting each client to become still, quiet, reaching deep inside by accessing a deeply relaxed state. This is an essential part of preparing for an experience of openness and receptivity. Without this, our tendency will be to “get stuck in our heads,” focusing more on “goals” or “should” instead of accessing themes that resonate to the core of their being as leaders.
In every experience, clients reported they could uncover what mattered most, what were their most important priorities, what they needed to take care of, including what they might want to stop doing, For several , there were moments of revelation. The distracted, overwhelmed energy of the first weeks back at work quickly shifted into a calm, clear source of strength. When given the opportunity to create spaciousness, my clients showed me their ability and desire to grow themselves into happier, healthier, more effective leaders.
Here are a few questions to consider:
- What’s your theme for this year in a word?
- What are the most important priorities for your time?
- What do you want to start doing?
- What do you want to stop doing?
- Who will you become as you engage in the world with your theme as a guide?
My wish for you in 2018 is that as powerful leaders, you take time to stop and simply be. As the joke goes “don’t just do something, sit there.” If you are able to learn to stop in your life, even for just a few moments, the quality of your experience in other moments will change.
As you enter the first month of this New Year, may you create the space to allow yourself to be, so that you may become even more in the year ahead.