How are your New Year Resolutions going? I stopped making them myself and instead, and tried something different. A resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something. I don’t want to make a firm decision; I want to increase my growth. I want to take action towards growth.
We all have things pulling in us in different directions. It might be jobs, families, husbands, wives, siblings, sons, daughters, employee’s, leaders. The list goes on and on. I know that I need to take care of myself before I can take care of others. I read a fantastic article about self-care improving company profits. In this Forbes article, Monica Thakrar states, “17-19 hours of sleep deprivation is basically like having a .05 blood alcohol level.” If you are tired and low, there is very little to give back, and what you do put back into the universe is usually out of obligation and just wears you down.
So, how was I going to tackle this beast of my life and still be able to breathe? Focus on my needs. I want to do “all of the things,” but I need to focus. First thing I did was get more sleep (I am still working on that one but holding myself accountable. Next task was to plan out the year. How will I do it? For me, it all ended at goals, a good planner, and accountability.
Goals
I created my annual goals and then broke them down into quarters and then monthly. I set attainable short term SMART goals. I break those down into even smaller goals and work from my planner monthly, weekly even daily. I track my progress with a simple log. Yes, sleep is in my log, as well as the Sleep App on my Apple Watch.
Planner
I found a new planner that has worked well for me. This is not a sponsored post, just something I stumbled upon going down a 2 AM rabbit hole in the futile search of organizing my brain! Well, it turned out to be more than I expected! I am very excited to use it. My favorite part of the journal is the “looking back page.” Now that is going to come in handy. It has been crucial in helping me compartmentalize my life and business. My Steadfast over Scattered Planner has helped me break down my goals and track them as often as I want or need.
Accountability
As a leader, you never work independently, and you need to be honest with yourself. Leaders need to seek wisdom and accountability from others as well. Peers, leaders, friends. Find someone that can help you grow. Find someone that will listen with the intent to understand not reply, someone that will challenge and help you succeed.
I would love to hear some of the ways you are planning for growth this year!