First name, where are you at? On a hot summer in 2018 I was nearing the end of a gruelling 100km ultra run, I could see the end in sight, but as I and the other runners got closer we realised that our route went beyond the finish straight, and looped around a big rock* before continuing onto the finish line. It was here that one of the most memorable moments of that 100km took place, cheering on the runners who were on their way back. In business I've experienced less painful false endings, and perhaps some of these will resonate with you too?, getting a report in on time, only to be sent revisions a day later, assignments with scope creep, and contracts that don't start on time. Using this knowledge, asking ‘ where am I at? ’ is always time well spent, perhaps it confirms what you know, or helps you adjust your path. Especially as telling other people about your goals can create a false ending through an illusion of progress (great for getting started though!), resulting in a reduced effort towards your goal because your mind thinks you are closer to completion than you actually are. So, this January I'm nudging you to think about where you are at, and when you know the answer to that, everything else will fall into place. p.s * The Avebury stone circle, a marvel of prehistoric England that I ran (hobbled) around. |
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How do you think about success? Celebrating early and often is a very strong indicator for goal performance. In coaching sessions I hear lots of false beliefs about celebration, from an all or nothing mindset that prevents early celebration, to equating success with something that happens to other people. Often success in synonymous with completition, but you don't have to wait. These beliefs create a success neglect mindset. I'm always curious about the relationship we have with success, and here's what Annie Ridout, Journalist, author and poet said about success and being shy when I asked her. |
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"promoting yourself, and your work, when you're shy can feel quite challenging. But the online world is an amazing space for this. It means you’re not being put on the spot, as you might be when talking to someone face-to-face. I think it’s worth remembering that we can share our success without appearing arrogant. So, for instance, rather than writing: I’m such an amazing writer, look at what I’ve achieved! You can write: I was so honoured to have an article published in X publication, I’ve read it for years and it feels like such a dream come true. Also, I think most of us have a few people in mind when we’re sharing something online. People who we think may judge or criticise us. Firstly, it’s possible that we are wrong and that they either won’t notice or won’t care.Secondly, if they do explicitly judge you, they’re not the people whose opinions matter to you. You need to surround yourself by people who really do want you to succeed and feel excited when you do" Annie Ridout - Author of Shy |
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Who are you cheering on? A small habit I’ve asked my goal setters to embrace this month is to look outward and make space for celebration. Greeting the successes of others with enthusiasm does many wonderful things, it’s a relationship enhancer, it makes us feel more positive and it helps us get comfy with the language of self-promotion. |
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