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Intentional Leadership – Day 5 (M1, W1) Vision

Ah, another Friday! Are you prepared for the weekend?

As we come to the end of this first week on our Intentional Leadership journey, it’s time to think about how we will spend the weekend. If you are like many, you will heave a sigh of relief of having made it through another whirlwind, hectic week.

Would it surprise you to know that some people actually thoughtfully plan for the weekends – before the weekend arrives? It’s true!

I must confess, I’m not one of them – at least not 99% of the time. If we plan to go somewhere for the weekend, I am more mindful about the need to plan the time; it’s kind of a requirement when traveling with small children. But, if we are staying home for the weekend, I don’t plan, much to the frustration of my husband.

Oh, I do have a list in my mind of the various things I need to accomplish, errands that need to be run, and chores to complete, but I definitely don’t have a schedule mapped out. And, no surprise to anyone, I’m sure, many Sunday evenings arrive when I still have a bunch of things I did not get done. You know what they say about having good intentions…The good news (for me, at least!) is I’m aware of this pattern of behavior, which gives me the opportunity to rethink it and experiment with new processes that may provide a smoother rhythm to my and my family’s life.

What do you say we try another tactic on this journey we are on?

What if we thought about the weekend differently going forward?

What if we were intentional about defining our needs for the weekend and making time to meet them?

For example, if you work a traditional Monday-Friday schedule, the weekend is typically a time for rest, for fun, for spending with family. How much more satisfied would you feel on Sunday evenings if you actually approached the weekend with these needs in mind, with a plan?

Let’s start this week and see how it goes, ok?

I will meet family time by taking my son to an arts & crafts class, working on his homework, watching at least one episode of Blues Clues, and reading, at a minimum.

I will cook a turkey dinner for my husband, for the two of us to enjoy after he returns from hiking with a friend. This will serve double duty…with the cold, gray weather we’ve been having, I’m craving comfort food and cooking is very relaxing for me!

I will read at least an hour of something fun and an hour of something on growth.

I will call my parents. I will respond to some personal emails.

And I will spend some time preparing for Monday.

This is important! You know Monday is going to arrive; it always does. Take some time to think about how you want to feel on Monday, and what you need to do to feel prepared to start your new week off on a positive foot. Then take the steps over the weekend to set yourself up for success.

Finally, have you given much thought to the big things you have planned in the coming weeks? Are they in your planner? It’s been proven by so many people before us: Successful people are intentional, planning their time focused on their priorities. It’s a simple enough process, but requires focus and commitment. Are you ready for that? If not, get your calendar out and write it down.

Congratulations on making it through month one – week one, of the Intentional Leadership Journey. Next week we’ll focus on Seeing the Bigger Picture.

Have a great weekend, and I’ll “see” you on Monday!

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Intentional Leadership – Day 2 (month 1, week 1) – Vision

What is true about you?

When you dream and have a vision for your life, you begin to set the journey apart from what others are doing.

Do you want to do, be, or have more in your life? I think many people do want more. Based on experience and observation, however, many of them never take action toward realizing that longing. It takes time, commit, energy, and hard work. 

In the beginning, you may not have a full, crystal-clear picture of what success will look like. You may not even see more than the first couple of steps on your journey, leading in the right direction.

Know this: Each step you take towards achieving your dream brings you one step closer to becoming a fuller, more satisfied, better version of yourself. Each step will bring your vision into clearer focus, more steps will appear, and the resources you need will become available to you.

This personal journey is critical; if you cannot lead yourself, how can you lead others? If you cannot define your personal vision – for who you are and what you will be – how will you create a compelling vision that will draw others who would follow you?

With this in mind, I am refocusing from my thoughts of yesterday. Today is about my personal vision for me – not creating and growing a business.

Remember, a vision is what you will do, be, or have when you have “arrived.” It’s a future state, not a representation of who you are today. State it in the “present” tense as you develop your vision – it will fuel your belief in your ability to achieve it.

So, here is mine:

Do. Be. Have. I am intentionally pursuing my personal growth plan, understanding it is a lifelong journey, and I learn something new every day. I am a person of value who values others and does whatever I can to add value to others. I am enjoying the fulfillment and satisfaction that comes with recognizing and living my purpose.

This is a different statement than the one I would make about the vision I have for my business.

Today’s exercise:

  • What is your personal – not business – vision?
  • How does your vision affect those closest to you? Is it enriching or destructive?
  • How is your personal vision embodied in your work?
  • Does your work nurture and feed your personal vision, or is it drawing you away from where you need to be?

I trust if you are reading this, you are serious about growth and serving others. Take your time in responding to the questions. The key is to do a quality job here; rushing through this will not serve you well.

I’m thrilled you are coming on this journey with me. I’ll “see” you tomorrow!

 

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Becoming an intentional leader — Day 1 (month 1, week 1) Vision

Last May, I attended the Chick-fil-A Leadercast. It was a powerful event and food for my growth plan. I learned a number of lessons that day, and have been mindful to apply them over this past 8 months, and have shared a number of them with others. I purchased a number of books through the Leadercast and received a couple of additional benefits. One of them, a booklet called Intentional Leader, created by Giant Impact (the organization that runs the Leadercast every year). I rediscovered it last week while organizing my home office. It offers twelve months of lessons, broken out for a 5-day week (with prep work for weekends), with each month focused on a different topic. At the end of each day’s lesson is one or more questions, intended to help the reader dig deeper into their thought processes and beliefs.

I’m a couple of weeks past the start of the year, but there’s no time like the present to learn and grow. So, I’m starting today. Won’t you join me?

Month 1 is Vision; week one is Personal Vision; day one is…

Leading others well begins with leading yourself well. And without a strong personal vision driving your own leadership, even this task can prove difficult.

In the beginning, the first, most critical step towards becoming an effective leader is self-awareness. You must know your strengths and weaknesses. You must understand what it is you seek to achieve. Once you understand your vision, you must be able to articulate it. Then, you must reinforce your words with your actions. Hold strong against the people and forces you will inevitably encounter that will attempt to deter you from your path.

Envision yourself succeeding, and refuse to let failure deter your vision.

My personal vision is to continue to grow and to reach out to as many people as I can to share the gifts I’ve been given, adding value to whomever crosses my path along my journey. To that end, I’ve invested in myself in many ways throughout my life — classes, workshops, seminars, reading, gleaning wisdom from a variety of mentors, and surrounding myself with others who share my passion and are also on a growth journey. I’ve become a John Maxwell certified Coach, Trainer, and Speaker, and am building a business focused on helping others discover their passion, overcome self-limiting beliefs, develop and implement plans to reach their goals, and to realize their full potential.

I’ve got the beginning steps in place and I can see the next few I need to take, but I’m a long way from fully realizing my dream and my potential. But that’s ok, because I know it’s a journey and it will take me some time. This is the kind of work — for me at least — that comes so naturally and is so fulfilling, the idea of “retiring” doesn’t seem very appealing!

Question: What may be preventing you from confidently believing in your personal vision?

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