As we finish this first week of February, many are looking back on New Year goals and aspirations with disappointment. The month didn’t go as planned and goals veered off track. Rather than stepping away from them altogether, I hope these two posts help you get back on track and look at what you are measuring a little differently.
Starting Over. With a personal vacation in January, some of my new year habits and routines were put on hold. If your January didn’t go quite as planned, that’s OK. This post will give you permission to take a breath and get back on track.
Are Your Goals Process Goals? This post describes the difference between outcome goals and process goals. As we make the transition from January to February, it’s the perfect time to assess the type of goals you are working towards this year.
My Other Blog Posts This Week
The 4 A’s Framework. This post introduces the four concepts from the book Big Trust by Dr. Shadé Zahrai. The four are: Acceptance, Agency, Autonomy, and Adaptability.
Focus on Whimsy. Life can be very heavy and serious at times. Adding a bit of whimsy can not only lighten the mood, but also expand your creativity.
Book Review – Flourish. This post covers my review of Daniel Coyle’s new book Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning and Fulfillment. I enjoyed the book and learned a lot about how to set up the conditions groups of people to flourish. I recommend for anyone pursuing goals with others.
Podcasts That Caught My Attention
This week was a lighter listen for me, and I only have one podcast on the list. This includes an audio summary of the book Big Trust that I referenced above. I hope you enjoy.
Why You’ll Never Rise Above Your Self-Image. 31 minutes. Next Big Idea Daily. The episode features two book summaries. The first is Big Trust: Rewire Self-Doubt, Find Your Confidence, and Fuel Success by Shadé Zahrai. The second is the book Closing the Confidence Gap by Kelli Thompson.
Concepts I’m Exploring
Last year, I did some research on how the way we played as children shaped our expectations of loyalty programs as adults. Each generational cohorts brought new features and approaches to how brands deepened relationships with customers.
This research got me thinking about how those early play experiences shape so many things in our lives. The last few weeks, I’ve been focusing my research and writing time on how play shapes our approach and expectations in organizations and corporate structures.
We always hear things like older generations don’t understand tech and younger generations don’t have a “strong work ethic”. I think something different is happening. We are playing the work game with different rulebooks. What one generation expects is not the same as another. I’m even seeing patterns in org structures based on the decade in which the company was founded.
I’m fascinated by the patterns and what it could mean to organizational design. If you find this interesting or have thoughts to share, I would love to hear them!
What Do You Think?
Did you meet your goal expectations in January?
What are you doing to reflect and reset for February?
What ideas did the posts & podcasts spark that you could implement in the week ahead?