2017 Is Deeper Than A Simple Resolution
The end of the year brings about different emotions as we stop to reflect on all that has taken place. How did it turn out for you? Did you make the moves you were determined to make at the beginning of the year? Were there unexpected circumstances that got in the way of your goals? This is the culmination of what I expect has been a period of reflection and introspection. We consider what went well, where we fell short, and more importantly, those areas that will benefit by added attention. My encouragement is for you to take stock of this year and how you can parlay these experiences towards a successful 2017. January 1st is not a magical reset of the clock especially if no planning, preparation, or positioning has begun. Furthermore, there will be some carry over of things you need to complete from 2016.The key is to go thru a process where you really think about where you are and where you want to go. There is a blank slate so to speak yet we actually have to channel our thoughts inward to channel outward actions. Below are a few items that we can do as the new year is approaching to create the momentum and target specific results towards a successful year.
1. Celebrate What You Actually Accomplished: Take a few moments to think back on some of your victories this year. More importantly, analyze the steps you took to being it home. Were you Prepared? How was your Discipline? Did you remain Focused? Whatever happened to create these positive results will once again be in play when you decide what is next. Embrace the feeling of accomplishment you felt to propel you towards greater accomplishments.
2. Write Down Goals: Until I stuck to this discipline, the results were scattered and unclear. Writing down exactly what you want to accomplish serves as an important road map towards where you are trying to go. Brian Tracy once wrote that you should write down your goals once a day. This added step described keeps them front and center. Writing them down is critical as there will be competing forces and distractions for your time.
3. Expand Yourself: Put another way, get out of your comfort zone. In my experience as a Task Force Consultant with Carver Hotel Group, I am regularly learning a new hotel, new staff, new areas, and sometimes a new time zone. This experience has strengthened my willingness to develop new routines while remaining focused on the extraordinary opportunities around me. The key is to be willing to accept the uncomfortable feeling and staying with it. I have learned thru my experience that real growth is just beyond comfort.
4. What You Want: For once, think about what you truly want to do. Yes,, there are certain consideration based on family obligations, financial pressures, and yes, life. However, challenge yourself to do something that you have always dreamed of doing yet resisted until now. My goal in this area is to write a book. I have long thought about it yet never acted upon it. Therefore, over the next few weeks, I am concentrating on what that book actually looks like and what it needs to say. This will be a stretch goal requiring focus, discipline, and action. We benefit by having someone who will hold us accountable. They are the annoying voice that keep us going after we want to stop.
5. Enjoy The Journey: Above all else, stop every now and again to savor the beauty of life. In the hustle of everything, things become a blurry. Endless meetings, projects, family responsibilities, and over commitments can take the joy out of the simple pleasures all around us. Slow down and take some time to smell the life around you.
6. Keep A Journal: When this was suggested to me in 2011, I was apprehensive. However, the habit of keeping a journal has served me well in two important ways. First, there is a discipline involved to make yourself do something everyday especially if you do not see an immediate impact. By writing everyday, it forced me to identify time towards reflection, emotion, and frankly, what I needed to do to continue pressing forward. Second, by reading my entries periodically, I have seen the growth and maturity in my thoughts and actions. The written word is key towards specifics and direction.
7. Turn Away From The Noise: Take some time to remove yourself from the daily grind and look inward towards your heart. In this age, it seems next to impossible to take a break from our phone, email, social media, or public time. However, it is during these quiet moments where an idea, a direction, or an inclination will appear. Listen to the inner voice as it moves towards your spirit and instinct. Some of my better decisions and goals have been as a result of quiet reflection.
We are coming to an end for what I hope was a wildly successful one for you. For every disappointment, there is a development. Every test brings about a testimony. Every set-back creates a shout-out when the situation shifts in our favor. My hope is that each of us fully and firmly recognizes the worth and wisdom we have in our thoughts and actions. 2017 has the potential to be a turning point for you especially if you are willing to make the turn.
To A Prosperous 2017
Chris Adams is a Hospitality Task Force Consultant with the Carver Hotel Group and an Implementation Specialist for WCP Communications. His experience, in a career spanning over 25 years in the hospitality industry is focused towards Asset Management, Turnarounds, Training, Brand Awareness, Focus Group, Strategy, and Mystery Shopping. He can be reached at [email protected] or 336-707-4259.