Wrap up and Get Ready for 2020
There is no denying the date on the calendar. Another year has come and gone, and now is the time to wrap up and set yourself up for success in the coming year. Don’t forget to take a minute and reflect before you start the new year.
Take a Minute for Mindfulness
If our last Leadership Series® with Pandit Dasa taught us anything, it was to take a minute and become mindful about where we are at this moment. Take just a few minutes, don’t think about the past or the future, but be present in this moment and appreciate where you are. You might even consider making this exercise – taking a moment for mindfulness – part of your 2020 routine, too.
Look back and Learn
Don’t let it become routine to look back with regret; “I should have done that differently” or “I wish I knew that before.” Shift your mindset from the negative and find the lessons. Everyone makes mistakes, but there is an example from which you can learn. And you now know how to avoid going down this path again. If you had success, celebrate and learn from that also. How can you replicate that success and build on that for even bigger wins in 2020?
If you can, make a list of what you’ve learned. Use this as a tool as you set goals for you and your team. Don’t forget to frame each item in a positive light and use it to drive change for the new year. Even the most disastrous of situations will have something to teach you.
Set Two Goals
As the saying goes, "what gets measured gets managed," you need to set goals that you can measure throughout the year. This is the best way – some would say the only way – you can keep up throughout the year. Not only does this help you reach your goal, but this also gives you the chance to examine processes and procedures that might need a tweak along the way.
The first goal you should set should not just be measurable but achievable also. Up your last year's target so that it is reasonably attainable. The idea here is to motivate and incentivize your team. This goal is to drive your team to achieve and still show progress from the prior year.
The second goal you set should be loftier, and perhaps what one might think of as unattainable. Call this your ‘dream’ goal. And, while you and your team might think that you’ll never get there, you should entertain the idea of “what if.” How would things change if you DID hit that goal? Use the ‘what if’ to cause a paradigm shift for your team. And this shift could lead to more significant thinking and maybe even innovation that hadn't occurred to you.
Where are You Outside of the Office
End of year is also prime time to take stock of where you are from a big-picture perspective and refocus. Ask yourself, and maybe even your team these questions, the answers might surprise you. Where are you with your big goals? Are you preparing for retirement? Are you contemplating your next career move? Do you have a sustainable balance in your life? How has 2019 moved you closer to those goals? And, more importantly, what are you going to do in 2020 to get you even closer to those goals?
Look ahead with promise as you wrap up 2019. Equip yourself with lessons learned, both the successes and failures, and focus on the road ahead with opportunity and optimism. Be intentional on how to set up your team and organization for a successful new year. We strive to provide insight and information that helps you define success, set your goals, and achieve them. Want to learn more? We’d love to hear from you.
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