Month: December 2021

 

‘‘Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement’

-C.S. Lewis

So many are afraid to fail. Fear, conscious or (most likely) subconscious, sits at the root of almost all progress forward or upward. Our biology, both mind and body, wants to keep us safe. So, we play it safe.

And safe is the worst possible mind to be in when you’re planning for Good Things To Happen in the New Year. For now….let’s talk about “failures” – head on.

The old…“why should I bother? Look at the last two years. Right?” comes to mind.

Here are 3 points to consider. I’m including some “trigger words,” so be warned!

1. Pivot… Pivot! PIVOT! This classic ‘Friends’ scene never fails to make me laugh – three people of the main cast attempt to move a couch up a stairwell which is far too small to accommodate it, with hilarious results. While a lot of people would probably also have been reminded of that same sketch prior to the pandemic, the term ‘pivot’ now seems to be a trigger for “bad memories of 2020” for a lot of people thanks to its portrayal in the media as ‘the only way’ for them to survive the pandemic. Under the circumstances, this negative association isn’t surprising, and neither is the desire to avoid trying anything new after a tumultuous two years in both our personal and business lives. (Isn’t that odd?)

However, this negativity is a real threat to our mental health and the viability of our businesses as it makes us see change as something to fear rather than embrace, so it’s vital we reframe our thinking and open ourselves back up to positive change once more and include it in our plans for 2022 in order to THRIVE rather than just survive.

WATCH THIS RIGHT NOW…the ‘Pivot’ scene I mentioned. You deserve a belly laugh, and it might just be the first step towards breaking that “2020 association” for good.

2. Why is pivoting so important anyway? While most of us (hopefully) haven’t tried to move a couch up a stairwell ourselves like in the sketch above, I’m sure there have been times where all of us have found ourselves stuck when it comes to our business and future, and that is when pivoting can be the best way to turn a ‘failure’ into an opportunity for success. If something in your life or business isn’t working out, making a big change and trying a new or adapted route can often be a better use of your time and resources than banging your head against a proverbial brick wall. This way, you can still use the positive, working parts of your original plan while also removing the deadweight that’s getting in the way of your success. For that reason, I like to plan ‘pivot points’ for myself throughout the year to give myself chances to step back and re-evaluate where I am in relation to my goals, then take action for change if necessary, BEFORE my hand is forced. This gives me a real opportunity to ‘check in’ with myself from a healthy headspace and see both the forest AND the trees. Try working in 90-day Sprints….it works!

3. What to do when you feel like giving up: Life can get overwhelming at the best of times, but when something goes wrong and nothing seems to be going right, it can be a real blow to your confidence and make you want to throw in the towel altogether. The first thing you need to remember when this happens is that feeling this way is NORMAL. ‘Failure’ is scary; most of us spend our entire lives desperately trying to avoid it. So, it’s okay to feel down, frustrated, or despondent when things don’t work out – in fact, allowing yourself to acknowledge and process these emotions is the first step in picking yourself back up again! Take a moment for yourself and do something you enjoy instead of wallowing in the negativity of ‘if only’. Read a book. Go for a walk. Meet up with a friend for a coffee. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it brings you joy and peace. Only then will you be able to focus and look at the problem in front of you from a fresh perspective and work out your next steps, whether that be seeking help from others, ‘pivoting’ to try something new, or simply pushing through this rough patch to greener pastures on the other side!

One final thought from James Baldwin to call upon when things get tough:

‘Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.’.

New Year, New You!   It’s a fun thought.

And…what if the CURRENT you, the “warrior” (Wisdom Warrior, perhaps?!)  who has “fought” through these last twenty months and come out the other side, is more than able to make 2022 better and brighter than the ones before….it without the pressure of that dreaded ‘mental makeover’ some people talk about?

Let’s give this a shot in 3 easy steps!

1. Pause. Breathe. Reflect: one of the biggest mistakes we tend to make when looking to the future is forgetting to really acknowledge and digest the past. In fact, some of us may be blindly trying to hide the past in the closet and never thinking about it again! The closet thought is also known as Avoidance. We are biologically programmed to stay away from “ick.” And it is not always in our best interest to do that.

So, as the New Year approaches, take a step back and give yourself time to process  the last twelve months (rather than dumping it all into a mental trashcan!) Ask those magic questions…what went well? Not as well? What might you do differently next time?

To really up your ante….be sure to come to the Vision 2022 workshop on Jan 3 where we will dive in deep and make clear steps.

2. Set goals: the quiet part of holidays is a perfect opportunity to take some time to look ahead and think about what we want to achieve in the year ahead. This can be anything from taking up a new hobby to finally reorganize the attic instead of putting it off for another year. And you know what’s even better? Getting bold enough to think much, much bigger.

Whatever it is you hope to do, one of the best things you can do to give yourself a head-start and set yourself up for success is to plan – and no, I don’t mean micromanaging every hour of 2022 before the clock strikes midnight on January 1^st!

Don’t plan just yet, though. Give yourself time to really reflect. Come to <<<VISION 2022>>> where will will go deep AND chunk down! Here is a bit of detail about breaking down:

Start by breaking your goals down into smaller chunks and allow yourself realistic amounts of time to achieve each of those chunks before moving on to the next one. Breaking these goals down into more easily managed puzzle pieces like this will enable you to see how they all fit together to create a bigger picture and give you the chance to adjust your plans accordingly to build a more achievable timeline that’s spread across the year.

3. Expect the unexpected: the last twenty months are absolute proof that life is always subject to change. Change is the only constant. It’s natural to feel some anxiety when it comes to these unexpected curveballs, and this anxiety can be overcome and/or CAPITALIZED UPON! The key is to Expect the Unexpected. Know it’s your friend, actually. Be SOOOO kind to yourself. Embrace “failure.”  Riding whatever wave picks you up for a little while -instead of trying to fight it – will find you landing in a better place even if it is different to the one you expected. Learn to trust even when you are scared out of your mind. It’ll get easier. The rewards are great.

The most important thing to take from this:

• You are enough;
• You are strong;
•  You can make 2022 what you wish it to be.

However, you must believe in yourself. When you find yourself doubting that, remember – ‘Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.’  Søren Kierkegaard.

And don’t forget to say Hell Yes to Vision 2022! You have the day off, what better way to kick off the year?!<< INFO /REGISTER HERE>>