Taking time to celebrate your milestones is an essential part of your overall wellbeing. Honoring your wins can boost your mood, morale, and mindset. Remember in this new year to pause, and celebrate your progress in a meaningful way. What worked well for you? What didn’t? Reflect on your achievements, challenges, milestones and triumphs, to mine valuable insights you can build on in the year ahead. These insights will help you kickstart 2024. We live in such a fast-paced world where urgency often is the driving force that it is easy to forget to honor your accomplishments. Make celebrating your wins a priority this year. It will help you build momentum and practice progress rather than perfection.
Why it’s Important to Celebrate Milestones
Celebrating milestones both personally and professionally is a powerful exercise that will boost your confidence and help you stay motivated. Acknowledging your efforts and hard work no matter how big or small increases your positive mental wellbeing. There is power in honoring even your tiniest victories. According to Forbes, ‘Why We Need To Celebrate Minor Milestones,’ “When you shift your lens to focus on celebrating, winning and achieving rather than on preventing “what could go wrong,” you begin to lead yourself and others from a place of optimism.” Hope and optimism are potent forces that foster a positive mindset. This kind of frame-of-mind is more adaptable, and better equipped to face challenges head on. Listed below are some key ways the article addresses to shift your interactions with your colleagues to help them recognize and celebrate small wins. Click hereto read the article in its entirety.
Break milestones down into manageable goals. Instead of always focusing on the big picture, break a project down into smaller achievable goals so that there are points to celebrate along the way.
Track your progress. Recording all of the small wins will illustrate just how far your team has come.
Give credit where it’s due. Send props to your team as achievements happen.
Have a way to celebrate wins as a team. Whether it’s recognition at a quarterly meeting or a spotlight in a weekly email, show your employees you appreciate their successes.
Stop downplaying achievements. If someone congratulates you, say thank you. And if someone on your team has something to celebrate, make a big deal out of it.
Please read, like, and comment on my January LinkedIn article by clicking here.
It’s crucial for your mental wellbeing this holiday season that you carve out time and space for true rest, reflection, and restoration. Give yourself the gift of a less stressful holiday season by implementing these three essential steps listed below. I offer these tips to support you in staying grounded, and to set you up to approach 2024 in a quieter, more mindful manner. My wish for you is that you will truly embrace the spirit of the holiday, savor each moment, and be fully present this season. What are these three steps?Set intentional holiday prioritiesMaintain mindfulness & unplug during the holidaysReflect and create intentions for 2024Set Intentional Holiday PrioritiesThis holiday season prioritize YOU and your peace. Create intentional priorities so that you can experience the true spirit of the holidays. Pace yourself by shifting your focus to one of joy, meaning, peace and simplicity. Fill up your own cup with self-care and embrace saying no. Give yourself permission to opt out. Rather than filling up your calendar with countless events, make intentional decisions about what you truly want to attend. Set clear boundaries, so that you do not feel overwhelmed. You do not have to say yes to everything. Whether you reflect on these questions for yourself or keep them in mind for your colleagues and direct reports, I invite you to think about the following:What matters to you the most this holiday season?What are you prioritizing and what can you let go of?What does an intentional, meaningful holiday season look like to you?What lasting memories do you want to create?How can you quiet your calendar?What expectations can you let go of?Maintain Mindfulness & Unplug During the HolidaysI know it’s easier said than done to maintain mindfulness during the holidays. It is something you have to commit to and make part of your daily routine amidst the holiday chaos, demands and expectations. Think of small tweaks you can make in your daily routine to practice mindfulness throughout the holidays. Carve out pockets of time for mindful practices. It can be something as simple as a 5-minute guided meditation in your room, or going outside for a short walk by yourself. For example, I stay off email as part of a digital detox on the weekdays between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and it helps me tremendously to be present with family, friends, and myself. Reflect and Create Intentions for 2024The end of the year is quickly upon us. I encourage you to create space for deliberate reflection. Carve out an intentional window of time to reflect on what’s working and what’s not working for you both personally and professionally. Harness the power of pause! Think about what you want your guiding focus to be as we move into 2024. Consider avoiding the term “resolution” and move toward an intention, phrase or word that will define your new year. In the Washington Post’s article, ‘Pick a New Year’s Nudge Word Instead of a Resolution,’ they encourage readers to participate in the annual word of the year exercise to reflect on their values, intentions and hopes for the new year. Click here to get started on choosing your WORD for 2024. By taking a reflective step back now, you will go further in 2024. Ask yourself the following: 1. What have I done well? 2. What milestones am I celebrating? 3. What lessons did I learn? 4. How have I grown? 5. What is no longer serving me? 6. What can I let go of? 7. What is one thing I will do differently in the new year? This month, I am beginning to harness the power of pause to create space for deep reflection. My 20th anniversary of my business is coming up next year, and I am reflecting on what has worked and what hasn’t. I am celebrating the milestones. I am considering what I want my focus to be in 2024. Stay tuned! There will be some celebratory content coming your way in the new year. Please read, like, and comment on my December LinkedIn article by clicking here.
Have you ever thought of hiring an executive coach? An executive or leadership coach can help you identify what is holding you back, so you can pivot and be your own catalyst for positive change and growth. It is a life-changing process that helps you develop, grow and unlock the next level of your growth.
Coaching is a powerful tool that gives you the necessary building blocks to rise, step into your own light and actualize your potential. It has the ability to not only transform YOU, but your organization as well.
According to Forbes, ‘Unlocking Potential: How Executive Coaching Transforms Organizations,’ “Today, smart companies know that when individuals and teams are optimized to reach their full potential, bottom-line results trend upwards. The article further explains, “A Metrix Global study found that executive coaching has a 788% return on investment (ROI) based on factors including increases in productivity and employee retention.” This staggering ROI highlights that coaching is an extraordinary tool that will help you and your organization reach new heights. You can read the full Forbes article by clicking here.
If you have been considering whether you really need a coach, the answer is most likely a resounding YES! In my November Rising Leader newsletter on LinkedIn, I share a firsthand coaching account from one of my previous clients, and explore the following topics:
Three powerful steps to unlock your greatest potential
What are the benefits of executive coaching?
Firsthand client account of executive coaching
In case you missed it, click here to read my November Rising Leader newsletter.
If you’ve been reading my newsletters these past few months, then you know I did something quite unusual in September: I went camping in nature on my own for 3 days and nights. Prior to committing to this initiation in nature, I had previously only camped once as an adult—and that was with my husband and the full support of two experts who packed and carried all our gear. This time around, I was on my own.
Why did I decide to step way outside my expertise and comfort zone and do this?
In what ways did I push my boundaries and handle the challenges I encountered?
What lesson did I learn from stepping out of my comfort zone?
Read on to learn more, and perhaps you too will be inspired to create your own stretch experience to cultivate your resilience and grow as a leader.
The “WHY”
Back in February when I first came across information about the nature solo, every fiber in my being said: YES! DO THIS! Rationally it did not make sense. I owned exactly zero pieces of camping equipment, had almost no camping experience, and had never spent a night alone in nature. Oh, and did I mention that I had only recently finished physical therapy and was still building back my strength after struggling with some upper back problems? Would I seriously commit to haul all my gear at 7,000’ altitude and live on my own in the wild for 72 hours? Yet, the solitude, the call of the land, and the waiting gift of no emails and no responsibilities, was seriously appealing to me. After a brief conversation with my husband to confirm he was 100% supportive and happy to steer the household ship for a week, I signed up.
What Boundaries did I Push?
Each of us has our own comfort zone, and so our boundaries will also be different. Yes, I had previously climbed Kilimanjaro, and yes, I had previously lived and worked in China, but that was all years ago before children and being my own boss. In this case, my boundaries were more internal. The following questions and self-doubt arose in my mind:
Could I trust myself and my capabilities?
How would I handle any fears that arose without a friend, peer coach, or partner I could talk to?
What about no cell reception coupled with wild animals?
What about the complexities of back-to-school season?
Am I really going to leave my husband and kids on their own just 3 days after the school year has begun?
It turned out that the six months of preparation were all part of self-discovery and overcoming self-doubt. Each time I researched and purchased another piece of equipment, I would pause: am I really doing this? I’m not someone who camps, and yet here I am getting ready to do this! I had to remind myself of the full support and excitement my husband had for me, and practice letting go of any fictionalized scenarios that would start playing out in my mind. Ultimately, the bigger boundaries I pushed were woven into the challenges I faced on the ground – or I should say on the mountain and boulders of the northern New Mexican desert-meets-forest terrain where I camped.
How I Managed The Challenges, Fears, and Rain
Most of the challenges I encountered were internal: struggling with my own thoughts, fears, and doubts, most of which were not real. When I first signed up for the nature solo, my understanding of the “wildlife” in the area was that there wasn’t much – and definitely no bears or wolves or anything scary like that – and that in all the years of people camping on the land there had never been a problem. Soon after arriving at the base camp, however, in the preparatory debrief I was told that due to the prior year’s fire that burned the 300,000+ surrounding acres, there were now many more animals on the land, including lynx, bobcat, coyotes, bears, deer, elk … and many more animals. I imagine if there had been a video replay of that moment, my eyes would have looked like they were four times their usual size. Gulp. I was given instructions on how to keep any food in a sealed container far away from my tent, and how to dig a latrine and bury waste, all to keep the animals away.
Prior to departing on the trip, I had been advised to do some research on how to hang a bear bag, an odor-proof bag (or can) that bears cannot reach. But since there were no bears, I did not bother to learn how. Without a cell phone or the internet – did I mention that I was completely free of technology for those 72 hours? – I tapped into my early childhood tree climbing and knot-tying skills to MacGyver a solution. [MacGyver is a reference to a 1980s US television show that featured a main character who could make or repair anything using incredible ingenuity and creativity.] In the process of scaling the trees with few branches, I did earn quite a few scrapes and scratches that first morning on my campsite, and was grateful to have taken along a first aid kid that I quickly put to use. But, I did it! And it worked well as a solution for my whole time on solo, and those two trees between which hung my rope and bag of food, quickly became my outdoor kitchen and bathroom area, which I visited at least 3 times a day as part of a daily routine that quickly and very naturally took shape.
During part of the trip, wild animal sounds, torrent rainfall and the darkness of the dead of the night induced feelings of sheer terror inside of me. My adrenaline, fear and racing mind were my biggest enemies. Using tools such as yogic breathing practices (pranayama), visualization, mantras, self-story-telling, singing, and more I attempted to manage my fears. After six long hours of a cacophony of grunts, growls, snorting, and squeals, I thankfully made it through the night alive without actually seeing or being directly bothered by an animal. Then came the pounding rain for 24-hours straight making it challenging to do anything including eating. I did feel well prepared with my rain gear, the tent’s rainfly and an extra camp tarp my intuition kept bugging me to buy (thank you gut!). But the reality of living life fully outside when it was raining was rather perilous, and made me grateful for the cozy home inside my tent.
The Lesson
I laughed a lot at myself that next morning and felt great relief at being able to discover that I had only been prey to my own fears, not some fictionalized coyote-bear-deer-monster. I took further pause to pat myself on the back for braving the elements and inclement weather. For me, this was a real lesson in the power of the mind to make things up and make situations worse. It had me thinking about the quote from Seneca, “We suffer more in our imagination more often that in reality.” I know it is something that my coaching clients frequently struggle with when they are stressed, lacking confidence, missing information, or struggling with the shenanigans of their own mental saboteurs. It’s an important lesson to learn: when our brains and bodies go into that ‘Fight or Flight’ response, we need to use the tools I mentioned above to regulate our nervous systems and quiet our mind, body and spirit.
How I Grew
My confidence and trust in myself grew tremendously throughout the preparation and actual solo experience. The experience of facing my fears, being able to laugh at myself, and successfully handle all the challenges that arose has resulted in me appreciating and loving myself more. As I was able to observe a need, creatively utilize what was available to me in my surroundings, and take action to either solve a problem or create something new, a type of seamless creative flow was affirmed. I’ve noticed since I returned that I am clearer and more decisive, and also, I am approaching new challenges with greater ease and less worry.
Nature used to be something I went to on a hike, or looked out the window to see. Now, I know in my bones that I am nature and nature is me: we are not separate; we are one. I have a more innate sense of the time of day and a sense of changing weather. In fact, I am no longer annoyed at the weather, nor consider rain an inconvenience. I simply notice what the weather is doing and live in sync with it, changing my attire and footwear if needed. I feel incredibly closely connected to nature now.
Overall, I feel inspired and impressed by nature, and am noticing a renewed interest in bringing my rising leader clients closer to nature as a way to grow their self-awareness, confidence, and problem-solving skills. While I have no current plans to revive my Bali retreats, I do notice some type of seed has been planted within me that I anticipate will bear fruit in the form of a new offering for clients in the future. As numerous life and career transformations resulted for my clients who accompanied me to Bali over the years, imagine what might result from a leadership growth retreat that involved some type of nature solo? Hmmm….
It’s that time of year again – the time to turn your calendars, and shift your focus toward a new beginning, a fresh start and a new chapter in your life. The beginning of a new year is a rebirth of sorts, and an opportunity for a mental reset. It is full of potential and endless possibilities. For leaders, it is not just a fresh start for you, but also for your team and your organization. This is the perfect opportunity to harness the energy of the new year, and take advantage of its momentum. Think about how you can lead by example, and what you can do to engage, influence and motivate your teams amidst these continually complex business times. How can you combat the Great Resignation in 2023? It starts with YOU as the leader of your team!
December and the holidays are upon us, and that means a new year is right around the corner. What does that mean for us as leaders? How do we prepare for 2023? The past several years has seen one continuous disruption and challenge after another. Adjusting, adapting and redirecting became critical behaviors during these chaotic and uncertain times. The complexities, demands and expectations of organizations increased dramatically as a result of all this turbulence. How do we thrive and remain resilient in uncertainty? It’s time to begin writing a new narrative, and embrace a new form of leadership in the new year. Consider how to further cultivate resiliency for you, your employees and your organization. I like to think of it as the dawn of a new leadership era. As we move into 2023, what can you do to empower and strengthen your organization? To help you answer some of these burning questions, in my December LinkedIn article I explore the top three challenges facing leaders today, who is this new leader, and leadership trends for 2023.
