As we speed into the new year, there may not be enough time to get everything completed that is being asked of us or to do what we want prior to January 1st. I was recently texting with someone who brought up the end of year mad dash to finish well in her sales position. Many of you understand that crunch. It isn’t always fun, but it is almost always part of being a salesperson. You don’t have to be a salesperson to have year-end stress and hurriedness in your life. It is Open Enrollment time and even retired seniors on Medicare have the stress of deadlines and many choices to consider when selecting a supplemental healthcare plan. The pressure is everywhere.
Many people are planning for 2019 amidst all the distractions of year-end. Knowing how to meditate and being able to practice it can be very helpful right about now. Part of preparing for next year is using this year and what has happened as a catalyst for the new plan. I use the word glance in the title of this blog because I contend that looking back for too long can not only put a crick in your neck but also grab hold of your senses and potentially affect your forward thinking obstructively. I often remark to people to not hold onto the past because it may become a millstone that you then have to drag along with you into the future.
I will share my perspective regarding looking back with a few ideas that may help retrospect be valuable and, in some cases, alleviate pain, regrets or anxieties. If you approach the process using these tools, I believe you will think differently.
Make leadership your focus
Leadership does not require a management title and all of us should use sound leadership concepts wherever we are and whatever it is that we are doing in life. Going into a “look back session” will be more powerful, clear and encouraging if you consider how you may lead from where you are better, because of what you learned and or experienced in the past year. That requires vision concerning what you believe you can contribute to your current situation, be it at home, with friends, at school, at work or in a volunteer environment. In some instances, it may require a measure of courage to accept what has happened or what you did that may be surrounded by a negative spirit. Communicating honestly about the past when conducting self-talk is critical to accurate assessment and understanding the value of those experiences. If discussing circumstances with others, you already know that honesty will be the best policy. Having the passion for learning from your experiences and using them as stepping stones for success going forward will create a positive vibe and help to elevate the value of what you take away. Living the initiative to be in the moment for the purpose of improving and building a plan for the new year will move the rock forward for you. Don’t neglect any of these tools.
Be confident
A very important and sometimes difficult thing to do is look back with confidence. If you fall short of your plans, targets, or have other failures regardless of what they are you may be struck by insecure feelings due to those shortfalls. I want to tell you emphatically DON’T ALLOW FEAR TO OWN YOU! When I “screw up” I try to learn from it and look forward to improvement. Don’t put up with your past! You can’t change it so why waste emotional energy and live with the stress it carries. Look forward to changing so that you can get better. It works! Then you can be confident that you are taking the correct steps to move in a new, different and positive direction next year.
3.“See” the upside
I believe that there is an upside in every upside-down situation. You surely had some upside-down times occur this past year. You don’t think so? Think again. Join the well-populated club! When considering those upside-down moments, you will no doubt relive them and say to yourself “Man, I could have done this instead of that”, or perhaps “I hate myself for allowing that to happen, what a butthead!” Then think a bit harder and I know you will find an upside if you allow yourself to do so. That will change how you feel about the “unfortunate” occurrence and perhaps even find that you received some benefit. I once was literally kicked in the butt by a high school administrator in front of the entire girls’ basketball team. I have rarely been so humiliated and angered. I hated that man until I realized he was doing the best he could to try to motivate me to become better. That recognition became my upside.
Be honest with yourself and others
An important part of getting to the truth about the value of the year gone past is, to be honest about what we learn and find. Understanding the truth and coming to grips with it, good or not is critical to building a firm foundation for launching the new year. Jim Collins in Good to Great writes “
Think of it as a growth opportunity
Regardless of how good or bad this year has been…it can always get better. The last time I checked, we all had three things in common: we will someday die to this life, we fail, and we are not perfect. That means while we are still alive, we can still improve. If you’re not dead, you’re not done. Think positively and plan to grow from what you learn about this past year.
Now, relive your year at a glance. It is a time for honest reflection and self-examination. It will help you learn, plan and prepare for your exciting 2019.