We’re all probably making new year resolutions or thinking about what’s important to achieve in 2020. It’s not just the beginning of a new year that gets us thinking about the future; all of those “significant life moments” get us reflecting, things like: changing job, losing your job, retiring from work, a relationship change, or sadly a bereavement. We all find ourselves reflecting on what we could do differently and sometimes we start to re-assess our behavior and values; all with the intention of building a better future.
I often see how difficult it can be for someone to realize their vision of a new reality, and the biggest causes of failure tend to be: not having clarity of purpose, being distracted & side tracked, and having a feeling of being overwhelmed with all the information and the endless possibilities. We put ourselves under tremendous pressure to know everything, even when we know it’s unrealistic given our busy lives. So, here are my 3 tips that could help you to achieve (or exceed) your vision in 2020.
Future Goals as Journey
See your “future goals” (your change) as a journey and one that converts your energies and emotions into a set of questions and actions. Keep away from starting your journey in a state of panic or desperation; a sense of urgency and a strong desire for success is a much better place. It’s important to recognize the significance of gaining clarity and the more you socialize your ideas with the people you trust the better. They’ll help and support you.
Be Curious and Experiment
Always be curious and experiment on your journey. Approach learning as an exciting process, try things out in different situations and take the time to reflect on how things went. I guarantee that you’ll get more creative and enthusiastic about experimenting. Remember to care about your own self-improvement; it’s your life and your journey! Success is a state of mind, don’t fail before you start, have fun, and make your learning fun.
Find a Coach and/or a Mentor
Everyone should have a Coach and/or a Mentor and at multiple times during our careers (lives). I have several such relationships at any point in time and not just at the key moments that matter to me; of course, I increase our conversations at those moments. There are some important differences between a Coach and a Mentor to consider. Both will help you clarify your goals and the steps you need to take on your journey; but Coaching pre-supposes that you have the resources and capabilities to find solutions (or resolve your issues) and thereby realize your opportunities. The solution(s) are discovered by you encouraged by the Coach’s questions. A Mentor is more of an advisor who will seek to add value to your topic by sharing their experience and expertise. So typically, a Coach will commit to taking you through a process (underpinned by professional standards) and a Mentor is going to share their thoughts and opinions. I strongly believe that all Mentors should be trained Coaches so that they can use multiple techniques to add value; knowing when to be more questioning and reflective. I prefer to use a “solutions focused” approach as it looks at the future rather than becoming slowed down with the past and problem analysis; it’s much more energizing to talk about solutions that get you closer to your goals.
Finally, having a Coach or Mentor will help you, not least to build confidence, but also to encourage you to experiment, try things in different situations and help you understand what works. Make your journey exciting and don’t forget to celebrate your successes!
Connect with me on LinkedIn: Chris Litherland