Your successful 2024 is about windows and mirrors.
Windows are what you are likelyto be concerned with the next month or two.
And that isn’t a bad thing.
It is only natural to begin to look forward and to direct your focus to the things you anticipate and things you want to accomplish in 2024.
We look out windows every day as we consider what might be possible…
And as the new year approaches, the tendency is to look ahead.
Looking out windows is helpful.
Windows give us a vision of what is possible… what is ahead for us…
But the most Effective Leaders pause before they project into the future.
They invest time in reflection.
That is the importance of mirrors.
Mirrors encourage introspection and consideration of our current situation and tendencies.
Sometimes, when the light hits just right, that desire to peer into our future greets us with an unexpected reflection of ourselves.
So think back on the past year…
It’s likely been a rollercoaster of highs and lows and memorable moments that helped to shape the person and teammate and leader you are.
Because we are constantly changing.
Every day.
But it is only with intentional reflection that we begin to appreciate those shifts in our perspective… in our values… in our behaviors.
Change is constant in our life.
So, take a moment to reflect.
Toast the progress you’ve made and the challenges you’ve overcome.
Your growth is about that progress –
It’s not about perfection.
And in reflecting on your last 12 months of activities and projects and interactions you will benefit from the awareness that those experiences offer…
AWARENESS IS WHAT WE NOTICE FROM OUR EXPERIENCES
So prior to your new year’s eve resolutions and implementing those strategic plans for how you will achieve your chosen goals, I encourage you to pause.
And know that the most successful among us do that more than yearly.
The most successful people do it daily.
Daily reflection strengthens your awareness, and equips you with a greater understanding and appreciation for how to move forward and make decision more effectively.
Reflection improves our interactions and makes us more intentional about how we prepare for and have important conversations.
And reflection, over time, clues us into some of the biases and assumptions that have affected our judgement and our relationships so we can improve moving forward.
Be careful not to look back with critical eyes only, though…
Look back to celebrate your successes and to acknowledge how far you have come.
Notice how you have changed and evolved.
And realize that if you want to ACCELERATE YOUR GROWTH IN THE COMING YEAR, the most effective thing you can do is to commit to reflection.
Awareness increases when you take time to reflect each day.
Harvard Business School found that
“EMPLOYEES WHO TOOK 15 MINUTES TO REFLECT AT THE END
OF THEIR DAY PERFORMED 23% BETTER AFTER JUST 10 DAYS!”
You can do that by writing out your reflections in a blank journal…
Or you can use a proven set of reflection prompts that guide you to having valuable daily insights about your interactions and impact.
The Leadership Awareness Reflection Journal was created for managers and teammates who want to be more intentional about their growth (shameless plug).
And whether you grab a copy of not, I urge you to consider the massive positive impact that reflection will have on you as a leader.
Peering ambitiously out windows is vital for you to dream and achieve great things.
But it isn’t sufficient if you want to be a better version of yourself.
Peering intentionally into a mirror is what will make you more effective in a shorter time and allow you to more successfully accomplish the goals you have selected.
If I can ever be a resource for you as a coach or speaker to help you or your team be more successful in 2024, it would be a pleasure to talk with you.
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Sean Glaze delivers engaging conference keynotes and interactive team building events that help healthcare
and education leaders build more positive and profitable cultures.
Sean is also an author, and each of his four books, The Unexpected Leader, Rapid Teamwork, The 10 Commandments of Winning Teammates, and Staying Coachable, are entertaining parables with powerful take-aways for team growth and leadership!
What issues are YOU dealing with that would disappear if you could build a team culture that inspired connection, accountability, and a team-first attitude?