Jann’s Jottings #17

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Nov 29

Jann’s Jottings # 17

“The most practical pages for perusal on the web”

Jotting (defn): short details of significant events, behaviours and conversations about wellbeing, growth, and career.

Wellbeing Jot: H.O.P.E

One of the key themes of Christmas is hope. So, as we prepare for the end of year and all it brings, I encourage you to choose an attitude of H.O.P.E in the way you perceive others, work with others and connect with others to look after your wellbeing.

H = Hope and happiness

O = Openness and optimism

P = Peace and presence

E = Enthusiasm and energy

Growth Jot: Manage your energy not just your time

How often do we say or think ‘If only I had more time’ or ‘I simply do not have enough time’?

We can push ourselves to work longer, harder and faster however even the president of the USA still only has 24 hours in a day. The main issue with working longer hours, which results in robbing our family, health, wellbeing and soul, is that time is a finite resource. Energy is defined as the capacity and ability to do work and is a force that we apply that causes movement. The force that we have as humans comes from our body, emotions, mind and spirit. Energy is renewable through healthy practices, habits and rituals that we put in place to re-charge ourselves. So as we engage in the sprint towards the end of the year I encourage you to consider ways in which you are replenishing your energy through for example, earlier bed times, drinking enough water, laughing with others, taking time to reflect on what you are grateful for each day or simply stopping for a little while, without guilt, to re-charge and renew your battery. You will be a better leader and human when you do.

Ponder this: What habits, rituals, changes will support you to renew your energy in this season?

Career Jot: The Power of Pausing for Growth

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” (Peter F. Drucker, Management expert)

What I think Drucker was alluding to here is that when we learn to pause, to quietly and honestly reflect on our leadership, we allow growth to catch up with us. John Maxwell expands on this and offers three reasons for pausing to enable growth:

• Reflection turns experience into insight

• Pausing with intention expands and enriches our thinking

• We all need a place and space to facilitate reflection.

Afterall, if we are going down the wrong road, or don’t like how we react in some circumstances, we don’t need motivation to continue or speed up, we actually need to stop and reflect on how we can take a different approach or road.

As we come to the end of this year these questions may help you to honestly reflect on your results as a leader. Your results should either applaud you or prod you to do things differently next year:

Am I a ‘plus’ or a ‘minus’ in my most important relationships?
What habits have supported or detracted from my ability to lead effectively, consistently and fairly?
Where have my biggest growth areas been this year?
How have I developed or stymied growth in my team?

Read more: John C. Maxwell The 15 Invaluable laws of Growth