“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
A Time to Reflect
By Barbara Britt
As we get closer to the end of 2017, this is an opportunity for you to reflect on what your year looked like and decide how you want your next year to be. Get out your calendars (paper), agenda books, and anything you have that is handwritten by you. If you don’t have anything, recreate it NOW. Then find a quiet place, designate an uninterrupted time for yourself, and create your new year. We tend to use this time for everyone else and forget the most important person in this equation: YOU! YOURSELF! AND I!
That’s why we want to reflect and spend quality personal time in late November early December going back over our calendars and agenda books. Because only by reflecting can we intentionally go forward. What do you need to take out? What did not work? Who was not a good fit. What Really Worked? Are you spending time, energy, and money, but not receiving anything back? Most importantly, what is allowing you to make the biggest impact with your strengths, talents, skills, and passion? Consider these questions when you reflect on your past year.
“Never Mistake Motion for Action.”
~Ernest Hemingway~
Use your reflection time to go back and identify the signs of high activity (motion), no time to catch your breath, run as fast as you can. Were you productive or merely chasing your own tail? As one who needs to be active about 20 hours out of the day, I found that if I am not intentional about my actions I am just moving to justify… what I’m not sure. So, when you’re looking at your calendar and agenda book, look for motion but no action, and reflect on what you could do with that time that would have given you personal or professional benefits. Build your own strengths, write a book, empower your staff, mentor someone, or help a non-profit. Think about using this perspective: when you wake up in the morning, what major impact are you going to make today when you take out motion and replace it with intentional action?
“Everybody has their own Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.”
~Seth Godin~
The main reason I ask you to take the month of December to reflect and make action steps is that you will be asked to climb your own Mount Everest, and you must be intimately aware of what your purpose is and how you plan to achieve it. Failing to plan means you are planning to fail, and that is not an option for you. Remember you were created for this one unique moment in time. This is your life so take the time to reflect, plan and succeed.
“You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight.”
~ Jim Rohn~
Direction is changed one step at a time. Sometimes the angle is so minuscule that only you who have painstakingly planned its course can see and feel it. Do not become discouraged or discount the small steps, but keep the movement going forward and don’t forget to celebrate your victories. You must determine your direction using your purpose and passion for what you want to be a part of or accomplish in this life. To keep the energy in your life, know yourself and don’t be afraid to climb the ladder you were created for.
**Want to know what to eliminate from your life, so you can be part of something greater than yourself?
Call 850-621-7709, or email: [email protected]
