This time of year is often a time for reflection as well as a time to create the future. I’m reading a lot of blogs and articles about New Year’s resolutions. In our Pilates class today, the instructor said, “Folks—you need to squeeze in closer since we’re always a little more crowded in the New Year, but this will last just a few weeks, so bear with us”. We all laughed, but not at the others, at ourselves—she was talking to us. We are all goal-oriented. We mean well when we create those big resolutions. We also mean well when we talk about why we didn’t accomplish them. I think there are three main reasons for not accomplishing our goals:

We are overloaded. We have too much information to process already and we expect to hold another 10 goals in our minds…and accomplish them! We need to focus on just a few. So, for a 2010 reflection and 2011 success, let’s simplify with the “power of three”. 

What are you most proud of accomplishing in 2010?

What do you wish you could’ve done more of?

What did you learn?

Repeat for 2011 on what you want to accomplish, do more of and learn.

We aren’t lazy. We are lazy at prioritizing! We are all VERY busy at being efficient, but are we being effective? We see each other race to meetings hoping to only be 5 minutes late, we multi-task (typing and looking up now and then to the person across from you saying “uh huh”) and wondering why we’re so exhausted at the end of the day. 2011 is the year of the Rabbit, but we can be “slow and strategic” rabbits vs. “fast and furious” ones.  I often don’t end meetings on time. If there’s no natural break in the conversation, I let the person finish, which makes me late for the next meeting, and so it goes—another day of being late for every meeting. I will end and start meetings on time this year, be ruthless in managing my priorities, and giving myself space to create, innovate and focus—one thing at a time.  

We try to let go of old habits without creating new, positive ones (!) Instead of drinking the sugar-free Monster drinks (which, yes, admittedly, I love!) I am now drinking green tea, vitamin water or some other energy drink that is healthier for me. Instead of continuing to try to get up at 4:30 AM on a consistent basis, I’m focusing on a habit of going to bed earlier so it’s easier for me to get up at that time. One of my good friends, Debbie Phillips, creates a theme each year that grounds her focus. My theme this year is “Positive Habits”.

 So, there you have it. Another blog on the New Year, but one that will hopefully help you think a little differently from 2010.  

 Cheers to Three: A year of simplicity, priorities, and positivity. 

Contemplating whether I should choose “Sparkle-icious” or “Holiday Red” at my local nail salon, I overheard a group of women laughing with each other as they were enjoying their own manicures and pedicures. They were sharing with each other what was best about 2010. I heard “starting my new job”, “quitting my job”, and “taking 6 months off”. Then I heard the real question: “What did you LEARN this year?”  Silence—except for the sound of Frank Sinatra jamming a “Silent Night, Holy Night” tune. Finally, a soft voice chimed in—“I learned how to ask for what I want”….and another—“I learned how to delegate nicely”. The conversation got very lively and I could see the energy shift with the entire group. I’ve had this same experience so many times. A discussion shifts simply because of a powerful question—at a staff meeting, in a nail salon, or in a blog. So, what did you learn this year?  

I learned that “just one day” never comes. I have yearned for “just one day” to catch up on email, re-prioritize my projects, focus on big thinking, start that blog, and process my inbox. Instead, I am prioritizing the “HVAs—high value add” projects first, and getting the right things done (note that I didn’t say I’m getting everything done). “Just one day” has turned into “doing my days differently”.

I learned a lot more, but would love to hear from you. What did you learn this year? By the way, it was a unanimous decision for all of us at the nail salon.…sparkle-icious all the way.