The phrase on so many people’s lips at this time of the year is “New Year’s Resolution” (interestingly I just typed that as “Now Year’s Resolution” – on to something there?).
In the past the only resolution I set each year was that the coming year was going to be better than the one before.
It served me well for many years.
It was a great intention to carry and I believe I’d achieved it each year, yet it felt like it wasn’t quite enough.
It didn’t fire me up.
It didn’t inspire me.
I didn’t think about it every day.
Having one big goal for the year didn’t do it for me either, it felt too restrictive.
Then 3 years ago I decided to choose a theme for the year instead.
Like to win a 30 min coaching call with me to work on your theme for 2019? Enter at http://bit.ly/NY2019WinCoaching
What I loved about using a theme was that it wasn’t restrictive.
It wasn’t measurable in a quantitative manner.
It gave me a filter through which to make decisions.
It gave me an intention every morning to write about and visualise.
Here’s a recap on how those intentions came to be:
2016: “Exponential Growth”
In 2016 I’d just moved back to Sydney after 8 years in Adelaide. While it was an exciting period of time in my business, which Sydney opened up greater opportunities for, it was a really difficult time for me personally following a traumatic end to my marriage. I’d made the decision to stay with my parents while I explored what I wanted next, professionally and personally. This wasn’t any easy decision since I’d not been there for 15 years!
The theme of “Exponential Growth” initially was business focused. Had I gone down the line of Resolutions or Goals I may have ended up with a target of a specific percentage growth in revenue or profit. At the end of the year though I’d found the Exponential Growth had been greatest in my personal life and I would not have been open to that had I been focused on a specific target in business. I discovered that the Universe gives us what we need not what we want!
2017: “Creation”
In the lead up to 2017 I realised that I spent way too much time consuming content and not enough time creating content. I love learning and reading so this was a challenge for me. The by-product of focusing on creation was becoming more discerning on what I consumed. A key lesson I had was discovering the difference between “Just In Time Learning” vs “Just In Case Learning”.
While the intention for the theme initially was to create content related to my area of expertise – resilience -there were again some unexpected manifestations of the theme. Only 24 hours after writing up my “Creation Manifesto” for 2017, I received a message on LinkedIn from a Film Director looking for an Actress who uses a wheelchair for a feature film she was directing in Sydney in 2017 wondering if it might be something I’d be interested in (I had zero acting experience)! For the record I said yes and now have a lead role in a romantic comedy under my belt.
2018: “Impact”
After 2 great years guided by themes I was excited to spend some time thinking and feeling what the theme for 2018 was to be. In doing this I reflected on why I do what I do, and that has always been to make a difference. An honest reflection on how well I had been doing that left me feeling that I really needed to lift my game. I had become too inwardly focused and needed to shift my focus back to others. When I first embarked on the theme of Impact I was thinking that I wanted to impact at scale, somehow reach a much larger group of people than I had been. Looking back part of that could have been grounded in ego? Hitting the big stages seems very attractive but would I be having a lasting impact on the audience like I do when speaking with smaller audiences (up to a few hundred people as opposed to thousands at a time?).
A few times this year I gave away some of my time when I was on the road by doing probono talks for the volunteers and staff of charities doing crucial work with the most vulnerable in our communities. I found this so rewarding and in the process realised how much being able to give back to those organisations (who could never afford to hire me) had an impact on me. 2018 was the year I started coaching 1:1 again and I realised I’d overlooked how much impact there is to be had working closely with one person over a period of time.
By now you’re probably wondering, what’s my theme for 2019?
Glad you asked! The theme for 2019 has been greatly influenced by the theme of Impact and the questions I asked of myself above – was the desire for bigger stages grounded in ego and would I have the lasting impact on a larger audience that I do with the size of the audiences I’m mostly working with so far? It has become a “New Year’s Evolution!” Impact has evolved into:
2019: Connection
The thing I love most about what I do as a Keynote Speaker, Resilience Trainer and Coach is the connection I get to have with the audience and clients I work with. I realised over the last year or so that I value this connection so greatly that I feel a moral responsibility to keep growing and communicating my experiences and learning more in order to improve the lives of those struggling with adversity and change.
It took many years for me to realise just how much sharing my personal story helps to create lasting change. I love working with the smaller audiences as I get the opportunity to connect more and I love to stay back after my keynotes and workshops to have 1:1 conversations. Those connections are treasured. I believe that we are greater than our circumstances and that it is my responsibility to develop these skills and perspectives into our leaders in business which will flow into our communities.
It’s not all about business though. I’m also excited to connect with myself on a far deeper level and be completely open to connections that will come into my life as the year unfolds. I value our connection and look forward to nurturing it throughout the year and beyond.
Enough about me!
Have you had a theme for your year before?
Do you have one for 2019?
Incredible things can appear when you are guided by a theme.
Be your best!
Stacey
PS. Like to win a 30 min coaching call with me to work on your theme for 2019? Enter at http://bit.ly/NY2019WinCoaching