As we find ourselves in early January with a whole year ahead of us it’s a perfect time to be thinking about making plans, reconnecting with who we are & what we want and remembering why all of that is important.
This is the time of year when I think about my intentions and I find it helpful to circle back on my values to reaffirm what is important to me and to help me find clarity on what I should prioritise as I move forward into a brand new year. This year is particularly poignant for me as it’s the first time I’ve done this being at the helm of my own company. Scary and exciting all at the same time and I am full of hope that this will be a successful year for me.
A big part of my decision last year was the realisation through my own coaching process that freedom was a core value to me and one that I had been suppressing for a long time. Leaving my job and starting Kore Transformation was a huge step in putting that sense of freedom front and centre again. I always remember taking a walk with my coach around Ealing Common in London and her asking what leaving Adobe and setting up my own business meant to me – “FREEDOM!!!” was the resounding response, Mel Gibson style (with a better Scottish accent), that came roaring out of me! So that’s a big feature in my current vision statement.
Some of you will have seen that I’ve also started using a Daily Greatness Journal (see https://dailygreatness.co.uk) and that is also helping me to frame my thinking by helping me to understand amongst other things what my proudest achievements are so far, what my dreams are and why I want to achieve the things that will ultimately form the basis of my goals this year. So I now not only have a set of values and a life purpose but also a statement that captures the essence of why these things are important to me:
“To have freedom, fun and resonant choice over what I do and to make a difference in other people’s lives”
I also have a more business focussed mission statement to accompany my current life purpose.
Life Purpose:
“I am a mirror that reflects the magic in others and enables them to make their dreams a reality”
Business Mission Statement:
“I am a leadership coach & mentor helping business leaders and owners transform the way they live and lead, enabling them to move forward with confidence”
My goals for 2017 are still a work in progress and I have some work to do over the next few days to finalise them but I know from the work I’ve done so far that the key themes will be around:
1) Having clarity of choice over how I spend my time to ensure it’s with the people I care about and doing the things that I love
2) Growing my business
3) Having fun
It’s become obvious to me that to set goals without clarity of purpose and knowing what you want is somewhat meaningless. I’ve also realised that there needs to be heart and meaning in what you set out to achieve otherwise it’s too much effort to stick to the plan and less likely that you’ll have success.
For many people, having a life purpose statement is like having our own personal North Star. “It steers us on a course through life that resonates deeply with the truth of who we are” (Coach Training Institute) – this is a metaphor that Co-Active coaches refer to frequently.
So before you jump into goal setting take some time to think about what you really want and why. Imagine the year ahead is like an undriven road covered in snow and you can make any impression you want, what will you do? In Co-Active Coaching Changing Business Transforming Lives a compelling vision is described as being pulled down a road like the gravitational force of water running downhill rather than being pushed or driven by the desire for money or accomplishment. “Discovering what draws us has the power to overcome the bonds of lethargy and fear”
To read more like this and to receive a free guide to time management click here to join my mailing list.