|
Do your New Years' resolutions include increasing profitability?
Call JK Consultants and let us show you how to achieve your objectives We Value Your Professional Friendship
Taking Personal Development Not So Seriously
The New Year has begun. Typically, we look at the year ahead like a blank slate that can be filled with what matters most in our lives. We may spend a little time reflecting on the past year and resolve to make some positive changes. The most common include changing our weight, smoking and exercise habits and spending more time with the family.
Some of us are more inclined to focus on work related development objectives. Many employees receive an annual review that may include improvement areas. In addition, we may have our own professional development plan that focuses on improvement, new responsibilities and increased compensation.
When we look back at our previous resolutions, we may find that our attention quickly focused on higher priorities and our resolve was not strong enough to overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve our objectives. It is definitely easier to make resolutions than to stick with them long enough to achieve them.
What if we did not take our personal and professional development so seriously? What if our resolutions were fun? Would we be more inclined to achieve our objectives if the journey toward the end result was fun?
Some fun goals you can set for yourself include taking a cooking class, learning a new language, taking your dream vacation of hiking the Inca trail into Machu Picchu, writing a novel or learning a new sport.
Notice how these resolutions are really the same as the ones we are likely to make but seem so much more fun. For example, when you begin to train for your dream vacation hike or for your new sport, you may find that you begin to eat better, exercise more, maybe quit smoking and definitely could turn this into family fun.
The same is true for our workplace. A professional development plan can be turned into goals that are more creative, attainable, relevant and simply more fun.
Motivational Scripture
Self-Discipline: The Battle Begins in the Mind (Colossians 3:1-14)
The battle begins in the mind. Paul argues that since we have a new position, we need to get a new perspective. Permanent change and improvement always happen from the inside out. Consider Paul's prescription for self-discipline:
1. Remember your identity. We must focus first on our position in Christ. It all starts there.
2. Renew your thought life. We must focus our minds on things above. We must raise new internal standards.
3. Recognize your old life is dead. Change doesn't happen if we maintain any way to return to old patterns.
4. Release past habits. We must put off the old, like taking off a worn out set of clothes.
5. Replace them with new ones. We get rid of old habits only when we substitute new habits for them.
|
