“Tell me, what are you going to do with your one wild and precious life?”
These are the words from Pulitzer Prize winning poet Mary Oliver. What a great quote to ponder after Thanksgiving when we reflect on all the things about which we are grateful and before the new year when we turn a new leaf and set new goals.
The Art of Possibility is the title of a graphic recording map I captured live at an annual international conference. The corporation was asking its participants about their perspectives on how the organization could grow according to each person’s experiences and imagination. It was an energizing experience, and one you can apply to your situations as you evaluate your past and intended future during this season.
How was your year? After designing and delivering a training program, we usually evaluate by doing a plus/delta. Plus…things that went well and delta…things that need improvement. Let’s do that for 2017. I’ve included a one-page worksheet for you to record your thoughts, which you can print out…in color!
- PLUS…What went well? What are the things you accomplished that you are proud of? Think month by month starting way back at last January and mentally move through the year. Listing what you’ve accomplished will give you a visual picture of all you’ve achieved and can create some real satisfaction. Sometimes we limit our thoughts by only dwelling on the current time period. Do your best to remember 12 months ago so you do notice the bigger picture. List your proudest accomplishments on the template.
- DELTA…What are some things you could improve? To really evaluate your activities and accomplishments, where are some areas that you would have done things differently? As much as we’d like to not think about the negatives, these are great opportunities to reflect and grow. List these on the template.
- Now it’s time to imagine without judgment. Jump into a magic time machine that puts you at the end of 2018. Where are you? What did you accomplish? Think wildly. You are tremendously successful and have exceeded your wildest dreams. Remember the words of the poet: “Tell me, what are you going to do with your one wild and precious life?” What are you coming up with? Draw your ideas. In color.
- If you look at the top of this page where the head thought bubble says, “There are no obstacles. They are all in your mind.” OK then. Pick one wild idea and turn it into a SMART goal. Write down your SMART goal.
Try new things. Get out of your comfort zone. Grow yourself forward this year. This is a small worksheet to get you started. (Click here for the worksheet to appear in a separate window so you can print it.) You’ll need strategies for getting you there, but you can’t get THERE if you don’t know where THERE is! Appreciate what you’ve done, and move forward with excitement! Create your own wild version of awesome for 2018!
A healthy and Happy new year to you all!
