Turning Over a New Leaf
Do you have any regrets?
Wishes for what you might have done, could have done – if only?
If only I’d started in my twenties.
If only I’d made that choice.
If only I’d known this sooner.
Ouch. These ‘if onlys’ hurt!
They’re painful to say. Painful to admit.
But even more painful: they keep us stuck.
I didn’t do it 20 years ago, so instead of doing something about it now, I’ll just live with that regret forever.
Ok, that’s a little over the top.
But let’s be real: this is how regret sinks its hooks into us.
I took a bit of time away from work over the long holiday weekend – to rest, to slow down, to connect with my family and just breathe.
And since we’re in the final swing of 2020, more often than not my conversations from this past weekend focused on two things:
Reviewing the year we’ve had
Planning for the year ahead.
In other words: taking stock and preparing for action.
Looking back on 2020 was pretty easy. It didn’t take long to spot the challenges, but it was also equally pretty easy to see what’s gone well this year. Amazingly, a lot.
Planning for 2021, on the other hand, was harder. Murkier.
That’s because setting goals requires that we know what we want.
For many of us, we don’t always know what we want – in our career, for our families, for our personal fulfillment.
All we know is that it’s not this.
Funny how looking forward in time can bring up regrets from the past.
How setting new goals can revive old fears and doubts.
They say the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago.
The second best time is today.
You have a choice.
To carry that regret around with you like a weighted blanket, or to put it down.
To let your fear stop you from trying, or to acknowledge the fear and do it anyway.
You didn’t plant that tree twenty years ago. Do you want to plant it today?
I recently learned about British author Arnold Bennett who, over 110 years ago, wrote a book called “How to Live in 24 Hours a Day.” In it he says,
“You can turn over a new leaf every hour if you choose.”
Didn’t do something 20 years ago? You can start today. This hour. Right now.
This week I’m going live to talk more about this:
Wednesday at 8pm ET on Instagram: we’ll talk about setting goals and how playing with timing can help us set more attainable goals.
Friday at 2pm ET in the Wayfinders Collective Community on FB: I’ll walk you through two free activities I created to quickly take stock and turn your reflections into concrete goals for 2021 (download them here).
I for one am turning over that new leaf – and I’d love for you to join me.
Let’s set some new goals for 2021. And then, let’s achieve them.
Onward,
PS: want more gems like that Arnold Bennett quote? It came from a community member in my growing Wayfinders Collective Community on FB. Join us!