Navigating the 17 Weeks to Christmas.

It's just 17 weeks til Christmas.

17 WEEKS!?

Sorry to shock you... but it's true! This news often conjures up an interesting mix of excitement and overwhelm. It’s common for a sense of urgency to grab at you, perhaps even constrict your throat and settle in the pit of your stomach as you ask "Where the hell did the year go!!??".

The question I’d like to pose today is: How do we stay calm, focused, and strategically active as the pace picks up?

The Power of Discernment

?Discernment in business is about making intentional choices that align with both your business outcomes and a sense of impact and fulfilment.

It’s underpinned by wisdom.

It’s considered, not rushed.

Strategic. Not reactive.

It’s deep breathing, not hyperventilating!

It’s the ability to sift through the myriad of tasks, opportunities, and distractions to identify what will truly move the needle for you, your clients, and your business.

?With only a few months left in the year, now is the perfect time to revisit the goals you set earlier.

Were they Trifecta Goals? The kind that allows for flexibility while ensuring progress at various levels—Acceptable, Stretch, and Unicorn? Or are they goals that need adjustment given the evolving landscape?

Reflect, realign, refocus

?As we approach the year's end, it's crucial to reflect on what has worked, what hasn't, and where new opportunities may lie. This reflective process helps ensure that your actions not just driving towards results at the heart of a strategic plan, but also align with your deeper values and long-term vision.

At the August ConnectWorking Dinners I hosted in Sydney and Canberra, discernment was the discussion topic.

These were lively and engaging events and just a snippet of insights of ideas and practices my guests shared that they feel are key aspects of discernment in business.

• Balance between delivery and development: One of the most significant insights shared was the importance of maintaining a balance between delivering to your clients and developing your business. Don’t become so consumed with one that you neglect the other.
• Embrace curiosity and connection: Forget about boxing yourself into a rigid description of what you do. Instead, focus on what you're noticing in the world, what you're solving, and what's lighting you up. Ask questions and foster curiosity—these are the building blocks of connection and trust and help you to discern where to focus.
• Iterate and design think: If you’re chewing on more than you can handle, that’s okay—just keep chewing! Particularly when an idea arrives “before its time,” remember to iterate, ask for feedback, adjust, and keep moving. Staying agile, responsive, and values-aligned will help you navigate the challenges

A useful tool: The Discernment Compass

I created a simple tool to help you make decisions that best support you and your business business – you can download a copy here. (no opt-in needed)

As you review your goals and reflect on your progress this year, remember that it's okay to adjust course. Focus on what’s truly important, align your actions with your values, double down on some of your goals and let go of the ones that you now realise weren’t really a good fit after all.

By practicing discernment, you can enter the final stretch of the year not with a sense of rush or overwhelm, but with clarity, purpose, and focus.

This is a practice and process that takes thinking time – so please set some aside where you won’t be rushed or interrupted. And if you’d like some help and a fresh perspective on the process, please feel free to DM me and we’ll set aside time to connect and talk.

?Warmly,

?Angela

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I'm Angela Raspass, and I'm all about helping business owners and leaders develop clarity, self-leadership, and strengths-aligned strategies to create a positive impact in their corner of the world.

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