The new year is well and truly on us and before we know it, we are into the swing of things and are now wondering where the holiday went. But most of us take some time, if only a moment or two, to ponder what lies ahead. What do we want for 2017? Do we have new directions to travel in? New challenges to enjoy? Notice I have not once said the word “goal”… Not that there is anything wrong with having goals, as long as we don’t get caught up in a mad rush to achieve them.
What I prefer to do each year is to find two words that I can focus on that mean something significant to me at this point in time. And I let those words “colour” my plans and way of living. So, for example, my two words for this year are, “Balance” and “Freedom”. I won’t indulge myself by explaining what they mean to me, but I think you’ll get the general idea.
So why am I sharing this? Because I think it is just another creative way of working with clients at a time when most of them are busy, they’ve set new years’ resolutions (that often are broken by now) and planning to make major changes in their lives, which suggests that things are really not going well. The reality is, we have all spent the last year growing, learning and experiencing a variety of things. Hopefully, we have ended up with more information about what we want, what we don’t want and are feeling fairly clear after a nice rest and reset that Xmas and New Year can often give us. Choosing two words keeps it nice and simple, creates a feeling of control and gives us clarity around what we need most.
What are your two words? How do they apply to your life? How can you bring more of those two elements into your world? Share this with your clients. Have fun with them as you invite them to do the same. Spend time talking about what those words mean for your clients. Coaching does not always have to be delving into the dark stuff. There is always room for laughter and lightness; for fun and anticipation; for a sense of the unknown whilst feeling grounded in who we are and what we stand for.
Go lightly into the rest of 2017 and make it a wonderful year.
