by Nokubonga Mbanga, founder of Self Insights
Every January magazines (online and hard copies) have an article about the new year it usually reads: “New year, New Me”. So, naturally I am thinking about what I think this year should achieve, aka: New Year’s resolutions….
Those big questions: What should I achieve this year? What are my New Year’s resolutions? The response is usually a long list of what you want, and the usual culprits are: Weight-loss, finances, new lifestyle, etc. This pact does not last more than January for some of us. Very hurting realization……
I have, of course, been exploring my intentions for 2018 since the last quarter of 2017 and I just did not feel compelled to write a long list of things to achieve anymore. I wanted something different, more compelling, more enriching, more encompassing than a list of weight loss, financial freedom, etc.....
I tried something different last year and I hope it might add value to your own 2018 moments:
Define one word to represent your 2018 intentions
My word for 2017 was EXPANDING. It anchored everything I was driving in 2017. I also identified 5 supporting words that support expand: courage, visibility, collaborate, creative and abundance. A one theme word is easy to remember, and I must say, “expanding” is stuck in my mind - 12 months of embodying a word can become a part of you and therefore I have chosen to include “expanding” as an additional word for 2018. Expanding through practice becomes YOU.
Maintain your 2018 Inspiration (achievement) plan
Add colour and flavor by including what feelings (imagine the experience) you want to experience as you achieve each area of focus. Don’t forget to link it back to you 2018 Word. This was my 2018 moment that I aspired to experience: (I wish/ desire to experience this year for moments that will give me joy, laughter, knowledge, wisdom, lessons, love and more love, to become me in a better way that serves me in the world I live in. I want to experience servitude, courage, abundance of thinking, opportunities, consistency, determination, etc.)
Re-ignite your inspiration
What made you successful in 2017 will not suddenly fall off because its 2018. The source of inspiration is also re-igniting with your meaningful moments from the previous year. Remember your powerful moments, the feelings associated with those moments and what made you successful, and you will recall you were in the CENTRE of it all. You are the driver of your success it is critical to centre yourself by re-igniting yourself through your successful stories, they are you. We become our stories - make sure you remember the successful ones, learn from the not so successful ones, and imagine new ones, because we are always BECOMING.
Reconnect with your winning spirit
What made you successful in 2017 is not only your list, but it is also the behaviors you embodied throughout the year. Connecting with your success behaviours is part of your winning spirit. When I was approached to be part of a project that I felt was beyond my wildest imaginations and for which I had no previous experience, I remembered I chose EXPANDING and expansion required courage, so I jumped in with what I knew and believed myself to be. It was an opportunity to ‘become’ by creating a new story.
Manage the spaces in between
I believe we all have the capability to dream the big dream, but what sets us apart is what we do with the time in-between the idea and its manifestation. I call this the buffering zone. The time between where I am and where I want to be. Some of us fall off in the buffering zone - the buffering zone is the time to polish the dream/ plan, to practice, to apply, to embody, and to BE the lofty dream now. One of my clients, when I asked what she wanted to achieve on the coaching journey, said: “I want to be an executive in two years - my response was let’s not wait for 2 years - become the executive now so that when an opportunity comes along, you are ready (she got hired to an executive role after a year of our journey). Every day presents us with an opportunity to become that successful business-woman through our daily acts. Become it now and the wheels turn in our favour.
I believe that the New Year presents a time where we can continue to engage with ourselves, reflect on past experiences, and activate based on how we choose the story to become. I realize for me that it is about how I consciously continue to experience the intentions I set out in 2017 in a better way in 2018.
That is at the core of each year: how do I become a better me this year in order to be better at what I already know exists within me. We just continue to expand ourselves in ways that help us and the world to become better. #Expand the Expanding.
I think it’s all about ME BECOMING BETTER at BEING ME!
Nokubonga Mbanga is the founder of Self Insights. Bongi is a trained Self-Leadership Coach & Facilitator; she specializes in self Leadership effectiveness, Coaching, Performance enhancement, Personal Change & Transformation. Bongi is passionate about helping people discover their potential and explore new pathways to success. Bongi was the Recipient of the Global Training & Development Leadership award at the 25th World HRD Congress 2017.