THANK YOU 2023, HELLO 2024!
Looking back to look forward.
I thought about sharing great memories from 2023 with you. But I realized that would be about me, and this blog is meant to be for you. I don’t think sharing photos of me on stage at speaking events or while doing a book signing or team facilitation would be inspiring beyond tutting my own horn. However, I hope my journey of challenges and change inspires you to grow through adversity, too.
So, let’s focus on lessons learned that we can take with us into 2024.
UNCERTAINTY IS THE NEW NORMAL
This year, I was once again reminded that things change constantly, and if we get attached to a projected outcome, we get hurt, stressed, and stuck.
There’s a saying that what we resist persists. In Buddhism, the lesson is to let be. This year, my agility was once again tested because not much worked out as planned. However, it did work out, just differently, and isn’t that often the case?
So, instead of judging what we didn’t achieve, goals that failed, and things we could have done differently, let’s pause to reflect on what we learned from the challenges and use our new wisdom to navigate whatever 2024 brings our way.
Learning is the foundation for growth. The more we learn about ourselves by pausing, listening with curiosity, and asking more questions, the more we grow from challenges instead of just cheering on successes.
AGILITY IS KEY
The speed of technology has taught us that the way we worked yesterday is no longer keeping up with tomorrow. It can be exhausting, or it can be exciting. We humans like to know what’s around the corner. We plan our days, and we get stressed when things are not within our control. And yet, control is not how we get things done; agility is. Responding to what happens is how we create more flow and, with that, speed.
You know I love my AAA tool, and I have used it a lot this year. It’s how I have turned change and uncertainty into courage and confidence.
Acknowledge how you feel, accept the circumstances for what they are, and then ask what you need so that you can tackle the challenge in front of you. This is how we become more aware, adaptable, and agile, and I believe it’s one of the most important tools we can take with us into 2024.
CHALLENGES GROW US STRONGER TOGETHER
Most people don’t talk about challenges with others. We have a tendency to think we are failing, and we keep failures to ourselves. In social media this year we have seen a lot of sharing from self-proclaimed gurus that had a challenge they worked through, and now they know how to fix everyone.
Can we just pause on that for a moment?
Sure, sharing challenges can inspire others to face the FUD. The fear, uncertainty, and doubt that come with challenges. But. And it’s a big BUT… we each need to find our way, learn our lessons, and reclaim agency. A pep-talk isn’t going to help sustain momentum, even if it gets us going at first. Support helps us sustain motivation.
Instead of the “I have the answer, just follow me” attitude, it’s the “I have your back, and I believe in you” perspective that grows us stronger together.
TRUST IS ESSENTIAL
It takes trust to grow through adversity, and yet we have seen trust deteriorating in 2023. I think we will see an increased need for real trust-building in 2024, and that takes conversations. Not assurances. Trust isn’t something we have or not; it’s something that’s continuously nourished.
When we are running on automatic habits, the 95% of our unconscious behaviors that determine our daily lives, we are essentially trusting the status quo. It feels comfortable there because we don’t have to pause and think. But there is also no growth or innovation. There’s no connection or collaboration. There’s just the daily humdrum that keeps us safe in our comfort zone.
Trusting ourselves to be able to figure it out is essential to building better relationships. We often talk about trusting other people and how that is necessary for creating a safe work environment, community, and friendships. But trust in others begins with building trust in ourselves. Self-doubt is one of the great enemies of productivity, collaboration, innovation, and in any relationships we want to build.
This is where our work begins: building the skills to cultivate trust in ourselves and each other through effective communication. A good start is to learn to pause, listen, and ask better questions. That’s how we reengage a mindset that says,… Yes, I can.
And that’s my wish for you for 2024. I trust you can do it. I’ve got your back. Let’s grow through adversity together because uncertainty is the new normal, and that’s okay because we can harness the power of being agile together.
RELATIONSHIPS MATTER IN 2024
When 2023 began, I set an intention to build stronger, more meaningful relationships. For 2024, it’s no longer a nice thing to have; it’s the foundation for work-life quality.
My intention for 2024 is to continue giving you the tools to build stronger relationships, starting with the one you have with yourself.
I wish you a meaningful New Year, and I’m looking forward to harnessing 2024 together.
