‘Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived looking forwards’

Yep! This insight on how to live is the work of Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard.

I’m drawing on this approach to reflect on 2023 and have developed the #12LearningsofChristmas, being loaded over the next 12 days.

One of the #12LearningsofChristmas is around how I’ve incorporated this approach more fully into my life at home and at work and how you could too.

It’s only in looking back over the year and reflecting on the changes I’ve been instituting to continuously improve, that I realise I’ve been living this way most of my life.

In my early life, this approach looked like keeping a diary. Or laying on the grass daydreaming about a different future, and creating rough plans for what I wanted to achieve (sometimes this became a bit shouty in my head because I’d not yet developed my execution muscles as well as I might).

Imagine my delight upon learning there are tools and techniques to effectively reflect, learn, act and plan – and they’re easy to do.

What are the reflection tools?

o?? Retrospectives - to help you look back, call out any blockers, learn and focus on key actions

o?? Futurespectives - to envisage a future, any potential blockers and the people and things required to propel you forward.

When are these techniques used?

Retrospectives are becoming standard for many project and business-as-usual teams. Futurespectives can be used in strategy development and team planning days, for example.?

For several years, we’ve been using retrospectives at home as part of our regular cadence, to reflect and improve, rather than blame and shame.?

For longer planning horizons and bigger initiatives, I’ve been using retrospectives and futurespectives within the same event.?

One of the best templates I’ve found to do so this year is the Hot Air Balloon.

How do you run this?

You’ll use the Hot air balloon template to run 2 separate, but aligned sessions

First, the Retrospective

You start by focusing on Hot Air:

o?? What’s elevated you?

o?? What pushed you forward?

o?? Who has elevated you?

Then, Sunny skies:

o?? What have you achieved that you’re proud of?

o?? What’s gone well?

And next, Sandbags:

o?? What’s held you back?

o?? What’s pulled you off course?

o?? What’s been a burden and something you might need to get rid of?

Session two is the Futurespective

At the end of the planning period, what will you be pleased you’ve done?

First, Clear skies:

o?? What do you want to create?

o?? What are your ambitions?

o?? What are you confident about?

o?? How could you navigate around or push through storm clouds, avoiding threats and difficulties by reaching clearer skies?

o?? Who do you want to inspire?

o?? What do you want to learn, practice or contribute?

Then Storm clouds:

o?? What difficult or tricky things lie ahead?

o?? What could blow you off course?

Next, your Vision:

When you undertake this activity, themes are likely to emerge to enable you to create your vision.? Some immediate and longer term actions will become clear and will form the basis of more detailed planning.?

Is there a unifying statement you can create to help guide your activities and help propel you forward in achieving your vision?

So why am I telling you this?

Because this technique works. ?I’ve dialled up its usage in 2023 when working with teams, communities and individuals.? Being able to ground yourself in the past, adopting a learning perspective to then take into a future you envisaged is powerful.

PS You can learn more about this technique, and many others, in my upcoming book ‘Love Innovating – Again’ due for release in 2024.

PPS If you would like to learn how to use techniques such as these to better align how you would like to live and how to better envisage, plan and achieve your goals, join my Accountability Community. DM me for more info.

?

?