On the cusp of 2021, what sort of vision does 2020 give you? Where are you at in terms of your goals and achievements for this year and your focus for the future? Reflecting on progress and self-practice is a critical element of leadership and personal development. But reflection is only helpful if you do something with it and translate the learning into action and better outcomes.
Be clear in your reflection as you will ‘go in the direction in which you inquire’. Your reflection could review what has or has not happened or been achieved in the past year and allow you to explore what helped or hindered progress, identifying how you would better approach something similar next year. Retrospectively reviewing an issue can feel negative and judgmental as you can end up focusing on what was ‘wrong’ or missing. So, to counterbalance that possibility, focus also on what you would like to achieve and build a picture of the ‘desired future’. Projecting forward feels more positive, energising and enabling.
A common complaint I hear working with leaders, managers and business people is that they feel ‘time poor’ – they are so busy they have ‘no time to think’! However, everything we do stems from the quality of our thinking- so we need to invest in it (Kline).
To take time to think, is to gain time to live.
But how do you look at your thinking, I hear you ask! Kline talks about the importance of organising your thoughts. To think effectively, she advises, you have to give yourself space, free from tension and rush – There is so much to do. There is so little time. We must go slowly. (Taoist saying).
Also, listen attentively to yourself and ask yourself questions to encourage fresh thinking, challenge limiting assumptions and build confidence in self. Questions such as: What am I trying to accomplish? For whom? What do I really want? What assumptions am I making? What additional resources can I avail of or alternative perspectives can I incorporate? could really help you ‘shift gears’ from going ‘full speed ahead’, to taking the time you need to reflect effectively and get perspective on issues.
Effective thinking, therefore, takes time but it saves time in the end and it helps you to channel your energy and focus in the direction that will best serve you. With more practice at thinking, similarly to anything else in life, you can make your thinking ever more effective and thus impactful. And if you want your thinking to translate into positive outcomes you have to make sure you identify relevant goals, be open & honest with yourself and be clear about your focus.
If something is relevant to you, you are more likely to take an active interest in it. Connect with a purpose and connect your goals to that purpose. The more relevant goals are to you and your needs, the more likely you’ll find sustainable motivation, energy and drive to face the inevitable challenges in achieving them.
Effective reflection also involves being open and honest with yourself. A critical element of openness and honesty is having a degree of ‘humility’ – accepting that you can and at times need to learn. If you approach learning with what Dweck called a ‘Growth Mindset’, then you accept life as a journey of continuous learning and growth. This realisation reduces the pressure on you to ‘get it right’ all the time, while still being open to improvement.
Being focused is about making resolutions and sticking to them. Making resolutions is quite easy. But how many resolutions do you sustain beyond the initial burst of energy and commitment? Building capability and resilience to follow through and get back on track if you lose focus is critical. Many people give up when they falter or they lose track of their focus because they are balancing multiple responsibilities and commitments. However, reconnecting with purpose gives focus. What is important to remember here is what Gallwey discusses- maintaining focus is not about never losing focus, but about shortening the periods of time in which you lose focus. If you learn the warning signs of falling focus you can intervene in a more- timely manner.
Focus is driven by desire. Having the courage to want what you want is an important starting point. In my experience, people often hold themselves back. They are afraid to want what they want or they are missing conviction in purpose and often confidence in self. This poor self-trust can lead to a paralysis of action. Gaining clarity of and then learning to accept one’s ‘desire’ can often be the propulsion forward. Gaining this awareness and building acceptance, confidence and capability in self to progress forward, requires an element of change- a change in you, which involves changing something you are doing or not doing to get a different outcome, or improving something you are already doing to enhance its impact. The process of getting to this level of change involves an internal shift in your mindset or thinking. This ‘transition’, according to Bridges is necessary to be able to focus on your goals.
Looking back to focus forward allows you to (re)-connect with purpose and give you direction and energy. Being clear on your focus guides your decision making, development and change. Giving yourself time to think, being honest and ensuring quality reflection is positive and enabling. Taking the time needed for this can help you create a picture of the future that inspires you. This well-constructed bridge to the future allows your hindsight to become 2021.
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