Companies spend billions of dollars on leadership training … and it’s fair to say that it’s a good investment to do so. Except when the content isn’t as practical as it needs to be, and there isn’t sufficient follow-through.
Think about the last conference you went to … did you find yourself filling your bag with information, contacts, and all the little gift pens and notebooks? Would you confess to putting it all on the shelf of good intentions where it sits, and sits, and sits?
Isn’t it so much easier to nod your head at the great ideas, take some notes and invariably go back to the life you’ve habitually lived for as long as you can remember?
And I’m not being pessimistic… or negative—not in the least. It’s just what we do. Our busy schedules, our comfort zones, the challenges inherent to change, and the lack of clarity on our part have a singular effect. It. Just. Makes. It. So. Hard. To. Move. The. Needle.
So, what IS next?
The shelf of good intentions is, after all, a busy and cluttered space—you know, all that training…
Since we are way past the sense of this year’s resolve for new beginnings, spring has already sprung, and summer is almost here; it can be extra hard to know where the momentum for change is going to come from.
Try this:
- Think about the biggest, most important and most inspired ideas and desires you have. Write a couple of them down. Then pick one to focus on.
- Does seeing it on paper make you feel like you want to up your game by pursuing it with new vigor? If yes, go to the next step. If not, then ask yourself why not? Then, ask what does fuel your passion? Find the answer before moving on to this next step.
- What are you called to do in order to get to the next step toward your goals? Be specific. Beyond sitting there thinking about the what-ifs, what’s the plan for moving toward what you truly want?
This is not an easy exercise. Sure, it looks simple, but it actually takes some work. But each time you truly engage with these questions, the deeper and clearer the answers can become, and the bigger the impact on your life and success.
Go for it: Look at the [wo]man in the mirror and … “make that change!”
