I remember watching in fascination as Officer Donnolly, complete with gun in holster, strode into our grade school gym to put on a demonstration on street safety. My takeaways that day were:
- Stop, Drop and Roll
- Don’t talk to strangers
- Stop, Look and Listen
In doing a quick analysis of my first week of the New Year, I realized I needed to invoke #3. I wanted to launch like a rocket into 2011 but then I remembered Officer Donnolly’s lesson. Your goal isn’t just to cross the street, it is to make it there intact. Rushing across doesn’t mean you’ll accomplish your goal and, in fact, it may result in you never making it there at all.
With the clarity I gained in the last few months of 2010 rushing into 2011 isn’t the answer. I need to revisit my goals, my content and my intentions. I have a long list of to dos but the reality is if they are not in alignment with my vision for this year then I am simply wasting time.
Stopping for me is hard. I am an action-oriented do-er kind of person. However, simply doing things doesn’t leave me with a satisfied feeling at the end of my day. Making significant strides forward with my goals does.
Yesterday I stopped running in circles and took time to focus on what I really want to be up to in 2011. I looked at the steps I had taken so far to build my business and reach out to people who are ready to work through major challenges and significant transitions. I noticed what had worked…and the things that had been utter failures (and, yes, there were a few of those).
Most importantly, I listened…to all the thoughts.
- The inner critic who would love to keep me safe, living inside my comfort zone.
- The inspired leader who helps herself and others step up their game.
- The sole business owner who sometimes gets overwhelmed with the wearing of so many hats.
- The cheerleader who lightens up the energy.
- The writer who finds it easy to blog but challenging to get those final memoir chapters completed.
- The coach who loves working with her clients.
If you took time during these first weeks of the New Year to stop, look and listen what would you notice? What shifts or changes would you generate regarding yo
