I was listening this week to my friend, podcaster Mel Robbins [she’s your friend too] when she said something that nearly stopped me in my tracks: Time is moving forward whether you are or not.
Read that again.
We are more than 25% of the way through 2024. Mel’s statement caused me to reflect on all those intentions I set, all the goals I wanted to accomplish this year and where I stood in making progress with each one. One thing became clear: I need to pare down my goals to focus where I can [and want to] realistically make progress, progress I can look back on at the end of 2024 and feel proud of. Progress that moves the needle. Too many priorities means there is NO priority. Lots of fits and starts here, then there, then here again. I am pressing my personal reset button and if this resonates, I invite you to do the same.
There are some [annoying] people who are self-motivated and need little encouragement or incentive toward accomplishing what they set their mind to. Others, however, need a push, [read: shove]. Perhaps its making that dentist appointment, renewing your passport, creating a LinkedIn profile…or much larger, more complex goals such as going back to school, prioritizing your health by retooling your daily nutrition and fitness, or scaling your business. Maybe you want to stop playing small, poise yourself to be bolder, show up differently at work and in life. Regardless of what your goal is and what might be holding you back, it is more than okay to ask for help.
Help can come in many shapes and sizes - here are four suggestions to explore:
Accountability Partner An Accountability Partner is someone who supports you to keep a commitment to a desired goal. This person is often a trusted friend or acquaintance who will check in with you about your progress in a particular area. They provide some tough love or motivation, whatever you might need, if you're not moving forward per the plan. Think: study partner or workout buddy.
Challenge Network A Challenge Network, a term coined by Wharton Organizational Psychologist Adam Grant, is a group of people who you have gathered to provide you with radical transparency, candor and feedback to help you improve. Their role is to push you to be humble about your expertise, doubt your knowledge, and be more curious about what knowledge you don’t have. Those seeking an effective Challenge Network surround themselves with “disagreeable” people — skeptics who can point out blind spots, question assumptions, and help overcome weaknesses. They’re fearless about questioning the way things have always been done and holding us accountable to think again. Although we may not always appreciate them in the process, according to Dr. Grant “We learn more from people who challenge our thought process than those who affirm our conclusions.” Given this description, who would you invite to be part of your Challenge Network?
Mastermind A Mastermind is a small group of people who share the same values, come from similar backgrounds or have the same goal in mind. It could be a small group of entrepreneurs meeting together to focus on next-level stuff (be it career aspirations, personal goals, business development). The key words being small and focused. The purpose of the Mastermind is to provide peer support, brainstorm ideas and offer a safe space for communication. The potential for idea generation in a well-run Mastermind is infinite. [The MasterMind that I am a part of also has a learning element. The group votes on what they would like to learn as it relates to the overall Mastermind theme, and if one of the members isn’t already qualified to teach this topic, we go outside the Mastermind to find someone who is.] The opportunity for learning, networking and growth is profound. You can find the MasterMind that is right for you by searching online or start your own.
Coach A Coach is trained and experienced in helping people explore issues, unblock barriers, see different perspectives and increase the options that are consciously available to them. They support them to make a decision and create an action plan to achieve the desired outcome. A Coach is going to ask you provocative questions, teasing out the answers you already have inside of you. Struggling to justify the expense? Ask yourself what it would be worth to have this problem / challenge resolved, this desired growth come to fruition? Do I want to spend another year wishing things were different, that I was different? How much will it cost me [professionally, emotionally, financially] NOT to move forward? Coaching is an investment that reaps dividends well into the future: job security through top performance, feeling more confident, being happier at work, enjoying greater satisfaction in your life. Coaching builds capacity. It is an investment in you and your business.
I challenge you to shake things up and make the rest of 2024 a year to be proud of by seeking out help and support, and offering it to others.
Time IS moving forward and I want to move with it. Who’s with me?
#AccountabilityPartner #ChallengeNetwork #Mastermind #Coach #Leadership #Goals #Intentions #BetterTogether #2024
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