#Priorities December 31
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Today and tomorrow are the days that many people take on the task of establishing resolutions for the new year. I have done that in the past.
For 2021 I am establishing three PRIORITIES versus committing to resolutions. It is my hope that I can make each an automatic daily habits.
My three PRIORITIES for 2021 are as follows:
1. I will spend time on the things that bring positivity into my life.
2. I will make my life more fulfilling.
3. I will get better at coaching.
Focusing on PRIORITES will still involve 30 Day Challenges. I will use those challenges to grow, learn, and spend time wisely on what is important to me. 2020 was a great learning experience I just want to enhance it. To get better I have leaned on others.
There are many gifted people that have mentored me. Three leaders, who I have never met, influenced my 2021 decision to focus on PRIORITIES. I want to share today what I gathered from each one in 2020. Individually, the approach each of them takes on how to begin a new year was unique. Yet despite the differences I found merging their techniques, concepts and principles got me excited. So what did I learn?
The first technique is something I heard Tim Ferris talk about on a podcast. Tim Ferris does not believe in New Years Resolutions but rather Past Year Reviews.
The second concept comes from Jim Collins on his formula for having a “fulfilling life”.
The third principle that influenced me came from Jon Gordon. He believes each year should focus on one word. The three of them led me to PRIORITIZE in 2021 three things; positive events/people, fulfilling life, and coaching.
To use Tim Ferris’s “past year review” technique it requires 60 minutes and a notepad. You make two columns on a sheet of paper-left side called positive and the right negative. You look at each week in 2020 and determine what events/ people belong in the positive column and what goes in the negative column.
At the conclusion of Tim’s exercise you have the people/ things you should PRIORITIZE and attempt to schedule more of . You also get a list of stuff “you should not do”. My list pointed out habits I wanted to avoid and activities and people I needed more of. That notebook summary has become my list of positive PRIORITIES.
Jim Collins has been a guest on the Tim Ferris Podcast twice. In each episode Jim defined the concept of a “fulfilling life”. The first was in 2019 and the second in November 2020. Here is a link to the 2019 transcript of that episode and here is 2020 transcript of that episode. I have included a link from an article written by August Birch on “Jim Collins Simple Secret Formula for a Fulfilling Life”
The secret to a fulfilling life according to Collins is this.
- More simplicity in life
- More time spent in deep work/flow state
- More time with loved ones
To determine if he is PRIORITIZING each day Jim Collins has a tracking system that has become a daily habit for him. He takes a simple spreadsheet and does the following. At the end of every day, he records three things. Each metric will reveal to him if he is living a quality life. Those metrics are as follows.
- How many hours spent doing creative work.-His goal is 1,000 hours a year
- A quality score for the day (+2, +1, 0, -1, -2) that relates to simplicity of life and time spent with loved ones
- A note of what happened that day-1 to 2 sentences
I do believe the first metric can be altered to measure what you want to spend time on. Maybe its not the job you have but the things you are truly passionate about. For me spending creative time in 2021 enhancing my ability as a coach and leader is important.
I created a sample spread sheet in Excel that I will use to make sure my PRIORITES to have a fulfilling life are on track. If not make some changes.
Jon Gordon is an author of a number of books I have read including The Energy Bus, The Power of Positive Leadership, and The Coffee Bean
His thoughts on how to approach each NEW YEAR is simple. Instead of creating endless goals and resolutions for 2021, choose One Word to be your PRIORITY for the year. No goals. No wish lists. Just one word. My one word is coaching. What habits can I master to make me a better coach. How can I spend time investing in others. How can I help teams improve their results.
So as 2021 begins I have reflected back with a Past Year Review and discovered spending time engaged in 30 Day Challenges was very positive. I will continue that.
I believe that Jim Collins is correct that having a “fulfilling life” requires simplicity and daily data to measure your success.
Jon Gordon’s advice on making one word the focal point of an entire year is brilliant. My one word is coaching.
Tomorrow I am going to reveal what my first 30 day Challenge of 2021 is. It is going to be a personal PRIORITY for me. Hope you will consider joining another #Coach4adayChallenge
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