For me, September is the best month of the year! For most, but not all, of us, the summer gives
us a mini break in the action. The pace slows at least a little, we take summer
vacations or ‘go on holiday’ and return refreshed and renewed, either from a
blast of ‘fun in the sun’ Vitamin D or the energy that comes from a bucket list
adventure. So, when September rolls around, we’re ready to reposition our
leadership lens, take on our challenges with grit, grace and gusto and light
some sparks of possibility. Yep, we’re perfectly positioned for a fresh start!
And the added bonus that September offers is that it’s just
a few short months away from the end of the year and the magic of the Holiday
season. It triggers this ‘sprint to the finish’ burst of creativity,
productivity and enthusiasm – a three month window of accomplishment!
How will you capitalize on this remarkable window of
accomplishment this year? Let’s be particularly choiceful about how the next
three months unfold. What do you want to do between now and the end of the year
so that when you look in the rearview mirror you feel satisfaction, pride and,
dare I say it, relief? To make it the greatest Fall of all?
Here’s are a few ideas to jump start your own thinking. Stay
tuned in throughout the month for more!
Leadership
Bright Idea #1: There’s a saying that originated in the
Southern part of the US – If you have two frogs to swallow; swallow the biggest
one first. I think Brian Tracy, well known motivational speaker, says something
similar, “If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest one first.” Your ‘frog’
is that task or assignment that is the biggest, hardest and/or most important;
maybe it’s the one on which you’ve been procrastinating and you’ll most likely
continue unless you take action right now!!
Consider the fresh start of September and the window of accomplishment
as a call to action. Ask yourself, “What’s my biggest frog?” Is it the big
stack of paper that’s occupied prime real estate on your desk for months? Is it
the next chapter of your book that’s been blocked for a while? How about those
performance reviews?
Start by thinking about how it will feel to swallow that
frog! Visualize the completion of the task. Now play big; be brave and bold;
shift into gear and get started!
Leadership
Bright Idea #2: I was with a group of colleagues,
facilitating a leadership learning program. At the afternoon break, I was
connecting with several participants, chatting together about change, growth
and being a better version of yourself. One
of those colleagues said something that was simultaneously wildly funny and strikingly honest; so much so that
it’s stuck with me and I’ve noodled on it for the past several days. In
response to our conversation on being better and different as a leader, he
said, “But sometimes you just get sick of working on sh$#t!”
After I stopped laughing, I realized the unvarnished
truth about what he said. I love personal mastery work; learning; growing;
changing habits and abandoning dysfunctional comfort. But sometimes, even I need
to cut myself a break. To acknowledge that I’m perfect enough just as I am.
That I have a lot going for me. That I’ve come a long way and made great
progress. Sometimes, you just need to pause and celebrate yourself, just as you
are!
So, for a change of pace, use this window of
accomplishment to focus less on what you need
to do to improve yourself and more what you’ve already done! How about
thinking about or writing about one of your brilliances; a 2015 accomplishment
that’s already in the bag; complements and positive feedback; new habits that
you’ve sustained; relationships that have grown…