The Year Ahead
When all is still around you, take a moment and sit quietly. Think about the year that has just passed.
What were your defining moments of the past year?
Having performed this reflection regularly for the past few years, I continue to be amazed by how just a small handful of outcomes - positive or negative - define any given year. I would posit your answers above could fit on one 3x3 inch Post-It note.
And if that is true in your case, think about everything else you did throughout the year...all of the little rocks that you focused on: all of the meetings, all of the emails, all of the Slack messages, all of the rushing around and the overthinking around what could possibly happen. Where did it all go? Did it matter in the end? Did it influence any of those key moments in 2019? My guess is that it probably did not.
Now, I would like you to take it one step further.
Ask yourself, "How did my behaviors contribute to those outcomes?" While there may have been some completely random events that occurred in the year - unforeseen wins and unfortunate losses - those are probably in the minority, if they show up at all.
More recently, I have appreciated that these outcomes came about because of "how" I approached the events of the year. My professional outcomes in 2019 - both good and bad - were defined by my behaviors: whether I led with courage, decisiveness and vulnerability; whether I stood back and unleashed the talent of my people; and whether I was open-minded and embraced opportunities for learning.
While much time will be spent on the "what" of the upcoming year - your resolutions, your goals, your big rocks - I encourage you to spend more time thinking about the "how". Which behaviors do you need to demonstrate in 2020 to achieve your goals?
To help you on your journey, take that Post-It note summary of 2019 and stick it on your mirror so that every morning you can remind yourself, "How will I act today in a way that will lead to my defining moments of 2020?"
Good luck on your journey to make the upcoming year your most impactful year ever.
Helped Bring The First Ever Copilot+ PC to The World! ??
5 年I absolutely loved reading this. I needed it. John, you are absolutely right. It’s about “how” and not “what”. Most of the defining moments as you mentioned, were due to how I responded besides what I had said or done in my personal and professional areas. Thank you for writing this ??
Co-Founder / Managing Director
5 年John, my wife and I were explaining this exact idea to our kids last night on our flight home from an extended holiday break. Putting ink on paper forces you to do the sort of honest review of the year behind you and the year in front of you. I suggested they use a blank page in my notebook, but you're clearly more disciplined with the smaller Post-It note. Happy New Year, my friend....
As always great stuff John. Happy new year.