I woke up this morning with the realisation that it was a new season, the temperature has well and truly dipped as I walked in the dark this morning. It is also a new financial year. My brain immediately did the proverbial "wipe that slate clean, let's start afresh".
Why is it we are so primed for waiting for new starts? We start our diets on a Monday, the start of the week, we hang on until New Year's day to chalk up our wins and losses and then set our intentions for the new year. I smiled at myself this morning, because although I am still all for the signature moment that reminds us to pause and think about what we are doing and give ourselves permission to restart, pivot or stop what we are doing, we can have a fresh start every single day.
I am learning to take more notice, especially when it comes to attitudes and habits that are unhelpful or unhealthy. I am traditionally the great master of the Dance..... Avoidance. I recently did an assessment with a self awareness tool and although I have always know it, seeing it on paper really hit home and to say it was uncomfortable and confronting would be an understatement. When things get too difficult, I do the Scarlett O'Hara, (stike the swooning pose, back of hand on forehead, leaning back and with your best Southern accent say "I'll not think of that today".
You see, for some of us, when things are uncomfortable and confronting the temptation is to ignore it and hope that it will go away. Whether it is a team that is slowly becoming more and more dysfunctional or a work colleague who is becoming more and more difficult, or disengaged, sometimes because it's stepping into the messy and unknown we rather just ignore it and hope it goes away. Or maybe as I have identified, it's our own character issues that are causing us to not live up to our full potential. Why wait? Why wait for it to drag on and become an issue or to start affecting others? My encouragement: Carpe Diem! Seize the day! Choose today to pivot, change or take the stand. Wipe that slate clean.
Start with yourself. Great leadership starts with self leadership, self leadership requires us to have self awareness. To deal with the inside stuff, so that we can focus on serving and growing others.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when you have something that is limiting your potential that can bring about a shift.
1. What is it that is limiting right now?
2. Is it something that I have control over? What part do I play in it?
3. What is this costing me? In time, money and emotionally.
4. What is the benefit from carrying on with this behaviour, habit or attitude? What's the pay off?
5. Am I really willing to stop it?
If the answer is no, why not? Am I willing to live with the consequences without blaming others?
If the answer is yes. What evidence can I give that I done so.
What are you living with today that is limiting your growth or progress?
What are you going to do about it?
