The Blog

Want to Leap into 2018? Do This First!

2017 is winding down. For many of you, this means you’re feeling the pull to look ahead, to set some tangible goals for 2018, even as you tie up loose ends for the current year.

This is the time of year when many folks start to feel conflicted, overwhelmed, and a wee bit short of patience. There is so very much to be done, and it seems like time is running out.

I get it.

The challenge, however, isn’t the perceived lack of time.
The challenge isn’t the insanely long to-do list.
The challenge is something else altogether.
The challenge is that you’re getting ready to leap ahead, and it’s not yet time to do so.

This time of year folks are often mentally already into the year ahead. Our “planning brains” want to be considering schedules, meetings, projects, deadlines – you get the idea. In and of itself, this isn’t a problem. Planning is a good thing. 

“The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift.  That’s why they call it the present.”  While I don’t actually know who to attribute this quote to, I know that a version of it is found in the movie Kung Fu Panda. And I can’t deny that I like it.  I like it a lot. 

Yes, it sounds a little Hallmark-ish, a little sappy. But there’s truth in it. There is nothing that can be done about the past – it’s gone.  And the future may or may not unfold as you imagine.  But the here and now, the present – this is a powerful place to hang out.

Unfortunately, the world in which you find yourself – particularly as a leader – is a very, very busy one.  There are numerous expectations to be met and therefore plans must be made in order to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.  So the question that I often find myself holding (particularly at this time of year) is this:  how do you stay fully present in this moment, even while you engage in whatever preparations are required for the future, no matter how distant?

Somewhere out there in the world is a quote, which has been attributed to many people in various forms, but here’s the one I came across most recently, and which I rather like:  “The opinion that other people have of you is their problem, not yours” by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. 

When I first heard this a variation on this wisdom I know it resonated powerfully.  There was such freedom,  liberation and a confirmation of sorts in the idea that the opinions held by others were not as important as my own opinion of myself.  I can totally get behind the wisdom of that, you know? 

Since then, I’ve come to believe that the quote needs to be presented with a cautionary caveat; because sometimes, the opinions of other people do matter.  Here’s what I mean. 

Anyone who’s ever met me, or heard me speak, or read my ezine for some time likely knows that “surrender” is a big value of mine.  Like, BIG.  It’s something that I hold dear because I know, on a cellular level, even when my brain wants to disagree, that surrender is the ultimate key to success. 

Which may sound bizarre, I know, but hear me out.

Boundaries are important. You know it. I know it. We all know it.

Despite this universal knowledge, few folks are actually effective at drawing – and honouring – boundaries. This seems especially true in the realm of leadership.

Too many of the folks I interact with operate with a misguided notion that they must be available 24/7 to those whom they lead. There’s an unspoken sense that effective leadership means you are ready to answer any question, respond to any dilemma, brainstorm on any problem, whenever you are beckoned.

A text comes in as you’re heading to bed, you text back.

The phone rings while you’re in the middle of a meal, you answer it.

An email message gets delivered as you’re working on a project, your drop everything you’re doing and respond.

Someone knocks on your office door just as you’re shutting down for the day, you let them in.

All of this is done in the name of “availability”. After all, what leader wants to be UNavailable? If you’re truly committed to your leadership, being available is the name of the game, right?

Wrong.