Strategy: Begin Again

This time of year often prompts many people to reflect on ways to improve themselves, reboot their lives, or contemplate strategies for personal or business growth. Personally, I wouldn't say I'm one for New Year's resolutions, nor do I consider the New Year a significant milestone. On New Year's Eve, I stayed up until 11:30 PM watching a movie and then went to bed before midnight. I'm not entirely sure what that says about me. I have a tendency to question things and experiment with new ideas, which sometimes aligns with the beginning of the year—whether it's trying out new nutrition plans, workout routines, meditation practices, journaling, or reading habits.

In that spirit, I recently revisited some journaling I had done and noticed an interesting pattern related to meditation and its parallels to business leadership.

Before I started meditating regularly, I believed the goal was to avoid any distractions completely and felt like I was failing if my mind wandered. My thought process often went something like this: Focus on my breathing, focus on my breathing… I wonder if I got the mail, which reminds me that the shred pile is getting full, which reminds me that I probably need to organize a few of my files. Then, I would suddenly snap back to the moment and realize my mind had veered off course. I believed I wasn't good at meditation, assuming the goal was to stay focused without deviation. However, I learned (thanks to Dan Harris ) that noticing when your mind wanders is actually part of the process. You haven't failed; in fact, you've done a "bicep curl" for your brain. The goal is to train your mind to recognize distractions more quickly, which can help create space between your thoughts and your decisions.

I've observed that this same pattern applies in business. We set out to achieve specific goals, develop strategies, and create plans, but distractions inevitably arise. The day-to-day grind can subtly steer us off course, and we may not notice it immediately. Then, during a meeting, someone might suddenly ask, "Remind me why we are doing this again? How does this align with our strategy?" As leaders, it's unrealistic to expect that we can always stay focused on the bigger picture amidst everything that comes our way in an hour, day, or week. Distraction is a natural part of the process. I usually recognize that my time off was effective when I return with renewed focus, acknowledging the need for a course correction, even if it's just a slight adjustment. For example, I might find my calendar overloaded with meetings, or I realize I'm spending too much time on one area at the expense of another. In my personal life, daily journaling helps me keep perspective, but as business leaders, we often neglect this practice. This year, I have decided to dedicate time each week for strategy meetings with my team. This will ensure that we stay focused on the bigger picture and maintain awareness during our most critical decision-making moments. It's not about being perfect; it's about becoming more aware.

It's 2025—let's begin again.