What have you done about goal-setting this year? Research says that most of us will abandon our New Year’s goals by January 16, the second Friday in January, also known as Quitter’s Friday. By February, only 1 in 5 of us will still be committed.
While goals work for some, I am focused on my theme for the year, an overarching concept to guide me. This year, it’s about taking time and space to connect with others, myself, nature, and joy. Being over-scheduled drains energy. Making space to connect fills me up.
Last week, a client shared her frustration because one of her goals for the year is freedom, and as a senior leader, mom, and caregiver to her parents, she feels she doesn’t have any. What to do? To her credit, she came up with several ideas for finding micro-moments of freedom and cherishing them. Take 30 minutes and walk on the beach. Read a chapter of a book. Walk the dog without your phone. Enjoy silence.
Worth the share
This podcast on the Next Big Idea Club has gotten my attention. Daniel Coyle, the author of the bestselling book The Culture Playbook, has a new book, Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment, available on February 3.
One of the themes in the book is the importance of taking a pause and looking up. Get away from deep, focused work so your brain can wander. As a culture, he states that most of us are doing deep, focused work most of the time, even if it’s mindlessly scrolling Instagram, playing a game online, working, listening to a podcast, or reading. Over the years, many of my coaching clients have heard me suggest the importance of “looking up”. Pause. Reflect.
Another theme he mentions is the importance of being in community. Whether personally or professionally, being in community is critical to finding joy and meaning. He goes through several memorable examples of the power of community, including a deli owner who walked away from a $90 milion deal with Disney, deciding in just 20 minutes that the offer wasn’t for him.
Take some time to listen to Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment, or pre-order the book.
#wisewords
“We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone… and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life, and all the weavings of individual threads form one to another that creates something.”
–Sandra Day O’ConnorAnd Finally...
As this new year starts, think about your theme or word for the year, something that will make a positive impact on your well-being, your leadership, and your joy.
Think about the different communities that you are in, and how you can nurture them or leave them if they are not adding value to your life. Don’t be a member because you should, be a member because it makes your life better. And remember to laugh often, it is the best medicine.
Have a great week,
Mary Jo