12 PRACTICAL STEPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE NEXT FEW WEEKS

It seems like many people are ready for holidays now. It has been another big year. (No surprise.) Yet there is still time to make progress on what matters before the holiday break. And just as importantly, to set yourself up for a fabulous start to 2025.

If you need a little help to make the most of the few weeks remaining in 2024, I am resharing my 12 STEPS TO HELP YOU REVITALISE YOUR LEADERSHIP.

This article features the first 6:

1.? RETURN

2.? REPLENISH

3.? REFLECT & REVIEW

4.? RELATIONSHIPS

5.? REASSESS

6.? ROADMAP

I’ll be sharing the remaining 6 steps in a future article.

Choose any one or more of these 12Rs to support your ongoing leadership of self. ? ?

1. RETURN ?

This is about your return to work preparation. Whether you are returning from a weekend, a holiday, a project or a secondment…how ready are you for your return so you can hit the ground running? ?

Questions for your self-coaching: ?

• On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how prepared are you for your return to work? ?
• How does that make you feel? ?
• What, if anything, would you like to do about this?

? Options for you to consider:

?Tidy up before you leave:

• Get your filing up to date- email and paper ?
• Do a general tidy up of your working spaces to declutter and put everything away in it’s home ?
• Review your reading pile and remove what you are unlikely to read ?
• Clean out your email with discipline using the 4 D’s

?Review your calendar for redundant entries in next month?

?Plan catch up time for your return

• This means block out time in your calendar now for your catch up time on your return. Allow 30 mins to an hour per day out of the office.?? ?

?Review your calendar now for your return

• Move things that are too close together etc. ?
• Create meeting preparation and follow up time ?
• Have an allowance of reactive time in your calendar each day ?

?Delegate where you can now, to minimise required catch up on your return, and keep things moving forward in your absence.? ? ?

2. REPLENISH ?

Have you been feeling a little more tired or fatigued than usual, feeling like your energy is a little low, you need a holiday or perhaps a dose of motivation. None of that is unusual. When you are operating at high capacity for extended periods of time, your tank of resources and energy runs a little dry. It is called Surge Capacity Depletion. And the important thing here is to recognise it and then be proactive about how you replenish yourself.

? Questions for your self-coaching: ?

• On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the highest, at what level of energy and resource are you operating right now? ?
• How does that make you feel? ?
• What, if anything, would you like to do about this?

? ? Options for you to consider:

?Rather than rushing around all weekend or on your next holiday, carve out time to recover.

?Determine what factors need to be present in order for you to operate at your best. These might include sleep, exercise, the right kind of food, social and sports activities, connection with friends, time in your hobbies and interests, and more.

• If any are missing, what needs to change so you have some of those factors helping you replenish? ?
• Need some help with this, try the wheels activity I share in this video .

?Decide on what you will do for yourself to proactively support your self-recovery after period of intense activity and focus

• How often will you do this? ?
• Consider scheduling mini recoveries regularly throughout the year. And add these into your calendar and plan now, with of course scheduled time to catch up on your return.?

?

3. REFLECT & REVIEW ?

As part of getting ready for your next period of activity, it’s valuable to reflect on what has happened in the current period. And to critically review this so you can move forward in an informed way with more focus.

? Questions for your self-coaching: ?

• In the current period, what were your Wins? ?
• In the current period, what is Working? ?
• In the next period, what do you Want? ?
• What have you learned about yourself? ?
• What have your learned about your tribe? ?
• What have you learned about your world? ?
• How will you do it differently going forward into the next half?

4. RELATIONSHIPS ?

When you’re very focused on what is important and busy, it can be easy to let some of your relationships slide a little. Yet the research tells us those with robust and active networks both inside and outside their current organisations are more effective and successful. Those people who feel more connected tend to be more engaged, have a more positive mindset, and have higher levels of productivity and performance. (iOpener Institute ) ?

Questions for your self-coaching: ?

• What is the state of each of your critical relationships right now? The relationships that make you feel supported, connected and confident. ?
• What do you need to focus on so these relationships are supporting you? ?
• Who do you need to be communicating with that you currently are not? ?
• Who are you communicating with who you do not really need to be, or not as much? ?
• What needs to change? By When?

“

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.

~ Abraham Lincoln

?

5. REASSESS ?

One of the things I have noticed working with leaders, is the importance of recognising where work and career fits into your life. Do you have the right integration between the different aspects of your life for right now? Or is some adjustment needed? The integration changes over time for sure. What is important though, is to check in every now and then before you discover one day that your life and career is not where you want it to be and too much time has passed.

? ? Questions for your self-coaching: ?

• What is most important to you about your life and your work/career? ?
• How is this currently being supported? ?
• How do you make it work for yourself and your family, and in the context of your life and goals? ?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how is your work life balance and integration at the moment? ?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how clear are you about your life and work priorities? ?
• How does that make you feel? ?
• What, if anything, would you like to do about this?

? ? Options for you to consider:

?Complete a Values exercise for yourself to determine what is most important about your life and your work.

?Time management- how are you ensuring you focus on the important? ?

• You want to be spending your time above the midline in Q1 and Q2 focusing on the things that have impact.

• Create clear priorities ?
• Decide how many hours will you work each week? ?
• What needs to change or be challenged?

“

I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn’t been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn’t have been lucky.

~ Oprah Winfrey

?

6. ROADMAP ?

You need to know what Results you want, what your current Reality is, and everything that is a Roadblock between your Reality and desired Results.? With this information you can create a clear roadmap forward. ?

To get the best out of yourself and your team in the second half, you need to be clear about a few things so you can create a focused roadmap into the future.

? ? Questions for your self-coaching:

(Based on the 3R’s - Adapted from Taki Moore’s work) ?

• What are the Results you want in the next period? ?
• What is your current Reality? ?
• What are the Roadblocks between Reality and Results? This includes everything that you need to work through, around, over or under to get to your results.

? ?Options for you to consider:

?Download the 3R’s Template for more detailed questions.

?Create your roadmap for the next period.

• Invite your team to help you.? ?

?

IN SUMMARY... ?

Lots for you to consider here in terms of your leadership of self.

I suggest choosing one area of focus that will make an impact for you in setting yourself up for now and 2025.?

Watch out for Part 2….

I’d love to know your thoughts.

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Focused on future proofing CEOs, Dr Stacey Ashley CSP is often described as the leader for leaders. With over 30 years’ experience, Stacey has helped 1000’s to develop their leadership competence, confidence and credibility. With 14 international Stevie awards, Stacey has been named twice in LinkedIn’s Top Voices. The author of six Amazon #1 best selling books on leadership, Stacey has a talent for translating complex concepts into simple and practical ideas for immediate application.

She typically speaks at conferences, develops leadership strategy and programs, consults, and coaches.

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? [email protected] or ? + 61 2 8006 1733.