Five vital contexts And Q’s to help you shape and refine your dreams and desires for 2018…
Firstly, a huge big thank you for all of the wonderful birthday wishes over Linkedin, Facebook and various apps – it was truly heartwarming and I had a fabulous day.
It’s really interesting having one’s birthday so close to the end of the year – it never fails to deliver a double whammy of retrospection on the year that has been, and inspiration, which gives shape, wings and lift to dreams and desires for the year to come.
With this in mind, I thought I would share five vital contexts and questions to help you shape and refine your dreams and desires for the coming year…
1. What’s my purpose?
Think of this as the big Conscious Q or the context – the golden thread that weaves its way through your day-to-day and informs all that you do. When we use this as our North Star, it aligns all of our choices, decisions, actions and behaviours and eliminates time and energy wasting people, projects and other distractions.
2. What do I want to achieve?
And by when? Write down the milestones you want to achieve during the course of next year and put them in your diary, reminders app or create a project plan. When we leave the specifics floating about in the realms of lofty dreams and ideals, very little is accomplished.
3. What do I need to learn?
Is there anything you need to learn to be able to achieve your milestones? Can you take a course, join a group, volunteer yourself for a project, get yourself a mentor or a coach? Identify anything that might support your growth and development and find a way of making it happen.
4. How will I know I have got there?
What will be happening when each one of your milestones is achieved? For example, if one of your milestones is to raise your profile, you will know you have got there if you are being headhunted at least once a month, or you are receiving x number of requests for your expertise per month. Find a practical way of measuring your progress.
5. What can I let go of?
Whilst your purpose remains consistent, your milestones and how you get there will most likely need to shift and adjust to the circumstances as they unfold. Recent years have taught us much about “being comfortable with the uncomfortable rate of change”, which we often have little control over. What this has revealed is a tangible, impossible to ignore need to lead our lives from a place of deep curiosity, creativity, innovative thinking and agility.
Think of this as the mindset that allows us to flow with the music, the change of beat, the appropriate step for the rhythm being played. When you feel stuck or overwhelmed, ask yourself “what habitual ways of being, thinking and doing no longer serve me?” What can you let go of that may be standing in your way?
Last but certainly not least…
All that’s left for me to do is to thank you for your wonderful connection, inspiration and community during 2017, and to wish you and yours a fabulous festive season, wherever in the world you happen to be.