Now that 2019 is rushing to a close, many of us are scratching our heads and asking, “Wow, where did all of that time go?” And while I can’t answer that, I’d like to offer a prescription for how we make the most of the year’s time we have left. Think momentum.
For many of us, momentum is a source of ongoing encouragement once we decide what we want and what we are willing to do to get it. But too often, the day-to-day grind robs us of the focus and energy it takes to maintain and accelerate our momentum. Ultimately, we fall short of our goals. This cycle can become a self-fulfilling recipe for mediocrity. I invite you to consider these seven ways to finish the year strong:
Make a bigger plan and stick to it: If our plan is “hold on to what we have,” we are probably going to end up disappointed. The world is constantly changing and expanding. Just as we need computers and mobile phones to do our jobs, a plan for personal growth and professional enrichment is vital. Our plans should include hiring a coach to bring focus and accountability and/or actively participating in a peer-mentoring group. Accountability and focus are the keys to success.
Get ahead and stay ahead: Making a bigger plan does not need to be complex. It can be a simple one-page list of goals and activities we commit to. This is where accountability is our friend.
Learn from the past, but live in the present: No amount of second-guessing is going to change it. The past’s true value lies in the lessons we learned.
Leverage your vital relationships: When it comes to relational momentum, we often confuse quantity with quality — as in the idea that more relationships are better than deeper ones. For most of us, we already know most of the people who will truly matter in our lives going forward. We should focus our relational momentum on growing deeper with these existing relationships and become very selective about the quality of the people we gather into our inner circle.
Love your work — or change it: As an executive coach, I often find that my clients have grown to actually hate their work. Many are simply burned out. Helping them identify the core reasons and activities that originally attracted them to the work allows us to change their focus and day-to-day routines to regain momentum.
Give more than you take: When we focus on ourselves and our own needs, the direction of our momentum becomes circular, and others are quick to notice our selfishness.
Get serious about your faith — or not: Answering the question “whom do I really work for?” is critical in determining the overarching reasons for everything we do. If we do not believe in God, we will focus all of our time and attention on what is good for us and maybe a select group of relationships. If on the other hand, we believe in God and that we are created for a purpose that should honor Him, we will include that purpose in the formulation of everything we plan and do.
One last thought: Isolation is the enemy of momentum. By reaching out and working with others in an interdependent way, we will surely take better advantage of our experience, expertise and relationships while not allowing ourselves to become isolated and distracted.