Let’s continue to talk about the brand-new year. Like many of you, I made some New Year’s resolutions. As I mentioned in the last blog, I make my resolutions based on the answers to three simple questions: What do I want to do more of? What do I want to do less of? And what do I want to stop doing altogether?
This year, I decided to keep it uncomplicated with one resolution for each of those three guidelines.
More of: Getting uncomfortable. This is something I learned from a client many years ago, and I’ve coached it since then. The secret to becoming more successful in life is to get uncomfortable more often. Put yourself out there! Meet new people, try new things, do something you’ve never done before. That’s how you grow and develop new skills, expertise, good habits, etc. That’s also how you grow as a leader.
Less of: Doing. I know that’s vague, but I need to do less of it. The fact is, I like accomplishing things. I’m task-oriented, and I especially enjoy crossing off my list those things or issues that are short-lived. If I had been a doctor, I would’ve been an emergency-room physician—always busy and seeing one patient right after the other. That’s just how I’m wired. In some ways, this kind of focus is rewarding because I can get a lot done, but left unchecked, it can be exhausting. I start to feel like Sisyphus who spent his time rolling a boulder up a hill only to have it roll right back down. Over and over.
Stop doing altogether: Keeping score of the wrong things. As a business coach, I’ve made a living holding business people and leadership teams accountable to results, behaviors, KPIs, quotas and goals. We closely measure the progress of any succession implementation, and we set specific targets for strategic plans. This kind of score keeping is a good thing because it keeps everyone focused on what’s important.
But keeping score also can be a negative thing, especially if we compare ourselves to others in terms of success or salary or anything really. Rehashing past wrongs or remembering all the times people didn’t follow through on something is not a good use of anyone’s time. I don’t want to have an elephant’s memory of everything! I’d rather let go of the negative thoughts and stop any worthless comparisons.
All of this applies to life both in and out of the office.
As I made my resolutions, I realized how fortunate I am to be able to recognize and implement these changes for the New Year. I value the control I have over my behavior and my own success, and I want to take responsibility for it.
This exercise also made me realize and remember how blessed I am every day. Take some time to ask yourself the questions I asked, then find the answers that work best for you and I bet you’ll feel the same way, too.
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