Highlights and Key Takeaways from 2023.

In this final edition of 2023, I decided to take a leaf out of our own book and reflect. I have reviewed what we've shared with you this year to find one piece of insight from each Newsletter that will serve you well in 2024.

January: Goals are an essential element of achievement; focus on finding goals that sit in the Goldilocks zone, not too hard that you're beaten before you start, not too easy that it doesn't motivate you, but stretching enough to make it worth the effort and stimulating enough. In other words, just right!

And if you missed the newsletter - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/what-makes-goals-so-essential-your-success-thinkingfocus

February: When you are prepared to put yourself out there and have a go, failure and mistakes are never far away, but your mindset determines whether you see them as part of the process to success or a catastrophic failure that defines you. You decide, but ask yourself better questions, and you can quickly become more productive.

And if you missed the newsletter - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-improve-your-productivity-work-thinkingfocus

March: Politics is part and parcel of any modern-day workplace; you may not like it or enjoy it, but it happens; the question is, how do you turn it to your advantage?

• How do you engage the wily fox to help you get something over the line?
• How do you involve the wise old owl to keep everyone in check?
• What would stop the donkeys from kicking out?
• How do we help those sheep work out the right path for themselves?

And if you missed the newsletter - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-deal-office-politics-who-your-sheep-donkeys-foxes?

April: Leadership is less about what you do and more about what you think. The Leader's Mindset sets the tone for their organisation and their team. Provide clarity, purpose and permission to play, and you will see just how far your people will take you. But beware, there's no going back once you let that genie out of the bottle. Be brave, you won't regret it!

And if you missed the newsletter - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/stop-its-time-rethink-your-leadership-development-thinkingfocus

May: Motivation carries you forward and is crucial when things get tough. But it's not all sweetness and light you need; there must be some bitterness and darkness, too. This combination is what drives you forward; the sweet is what gets you started, and the consequences of falling short, the darkness, that bitter taste of failure keep you honest when your motivation wains and distractions are likely to take you focus away.

And if you missed the newsletter - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/unlock-your-full-potential-discover-power-motivation-thinkingfocus

June: Workplace change is never easy; it is harder still when you forget the people and focus only on the process. Sell the change to the people, tell them why it's important, what we want to become and why the change is so compelling. Outline how this only works with them involved. Find space and scope for them to raise you up and be a part of the 'how'. One client employee recently said, "Don't do it (the change) to me, include me; I want to help."?

And if you missed the newsletter - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/five-practical-strategies-help-you-better-handle-effects

July: They say, "Don't regret the things you did; regret those you never tried." Do you play it safe, or do you take a risk and see where it takes you? The secret is about knowing what is dangerous and potentially harmful, if not downright stupid, versus which is scary but a calculated risk - there is a difference, but you need to be sure which is which.?

And if you missed the newsletter - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/so-whats-holding-you-back-thinkingfocus

August: You are constantly tripping yourself up, making poor decisions and choices all the time, and what's worse, you are wired to repeat it time and again. Take the example of someone who does something good; you allow that to shine over everything they do; you believe they are better than they really are. I may be an excellent executive coach, but that doesn't make me a great teacher.

And if you missed the newsletter - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/10-common-cognitive-biases-impact-your-work-how-overcome

September: How you see yourself can be like a beacon of light, or you can cast a shadow on how you tackle each and every day. You should practice more self-compassion and give yourself a break; you don't have to be perfect, and you certainly don't have to live your life trying to please others. Be kind to yourself; you wouldn't allow your best friend to be too hard on themself, so don't let yourself do this either!

And if you missed the newsletter - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-boost-your-self-esteem-thinkingfocus

October: It's hard enough to make your way in this world without you getting in your own way, right? Getting stuck in the perfectionist trap reduces your impact; you play it safe, holding back for fear of failure and judgment. The irony is people judge you anyway; they may even comment they thought you were better than what you are supposed to be. It's time to let go and go for it.

And if you missed the newsletter - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/imposter-syndrome-unseen-barrier-success-thinkingfocus-warxe

November: What if you could diagnose your failures and identify the patterns that could transform your performance and become more consistent and successful more often? You would be up for that, right? Of course, the secret is to ask yourself better questions, scratch that, the right questions that could mitigate potential failure even before you start a new project or goal.

And if you missed the newsletter - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/six-essential-strategies-achieving-your-goals-thinkingfocus-wblbe

My learning from 2023 is that you just have to put yourself out there. I had previously been reluctant to do so because of my imposter thoughts. This year, I changed that and I stepped up my writing. There's this Newsletter, which, thanks to you, has grown to over 2,000 subscribers; I was accepted into the Forbes Coaches Council and have been featured by Forbes in no less than 25 articles in the last six months.

As I look ahead to 2024, my focus is on more writing and more video content to go with it as we continue to grow our YouTube audience, having recently surpassed 175,000 views.??

What about you??

• What have you learned about yourself in 2023?
• What does this mean for you?
• What will you do differently in 2024?

Are you brave enough to share it in the comments below???

Here's to an awesome 2024. Go get it!

Written by Ricky Muddimer , Co-founder and Director of Thinking Focus