Crossing the Finish Line
Image: Walchensee in Winter (1923), Lovis Corinth. Source: Artvee.
Leading with Steady Action
Are you looking for closure on your personal development goal?
Welcome to the final message of the year on the theme of Leading with Steady Action!
Today we'll close out our one-year personal development projects (new readers, here's the background). I offer a few different ways of doing this and you're welcome to try any or all. These are all short and simple and meant to provide you closure and a sense of accomplishment.
Let’s start by remembering the goal.
You write down your goal and I'll write down mine.
My goal is to end this year with a deeper creative connection than I had last year.
Next, ask yourself, in a kind and nonjudgmental way (wink), “have you finished your goal?”
This may take a little bit of analysis.
The good news is the finish line is clear: December 31. We're all going to cross the finish line.
But will you be walking into next year with what you wanted? For me, am I going into the new year with a deeper creative connection? Answering that is less straightforward and that’s where the (light) analysis comes in. I think writing this down helps, by the way.
For me, working on this goal a little bit each month throughout the year really did help me connect to creativity.
How do I know? I could list out a bunch of things I did this year connected to creativity. But really, it’s about being honest with myself and yes, deep down I feel more creative this year than last.
Certainly this feeling came at least in part from doing things that connect me to creativity, like attending theater, playing piano, making space in my home for art. By doing those things, I think I signaled to myself that creativity is important. I think that led to changes in terms of how I prioritize certain activities in my life.
What does a simple bit of analysis do to help you know if you finished your goal?
If that still leaves you without closure, try this next part.
Reconnect with what about this project is important to you.
There may be something more important than knowing if you finished your goal, and that is knowing what is important to you about this goal. In other words, why even set out on this journey in the first place? Here’s my answer.
Being creative is important to me because I believe humans are meant to create and so creating is part of fulfilling my purpose as a person.
Finding time to be creative is important to me because creativity feels fulfilling to me. Creativity connects me to the feeling of being alive.
Is your one year goal actually the start of a new habit?
From my answer above, I can see that this goal is very important to me. I can also see that it’s not just a one year goal. It’s more like a start to a new way of doing things that I want to continue. I want to continue finding a deeper creative connection until that desire feels satisfied.
Commemorate your progress.
Commemorating your progress is, in my opinion, one of the most satisfying ways of gaining closure this year. Here is a simple question you can answer rather easily to help you memorialize your work, whether or not you feel you "finished" your goal.
Short activity: What are one or two memories you've made this year because you created this project for yourself?
If you do nothing else, what about answering this question for yourself? This gave me a really nice sigh of accomplishment. As a bonus, I discovered I'm kind of into 19th century art, music, and literature these days.
My memories of seeking out creativity this year (and there are many more!):
I went to Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis recently to hear Antonín Dvořák’s New World Symphony. The very first time it was played was on DECEMBER 16th 1893. What an exciting moment in history, only a few months after the Chicago World’s Fair. It was so emotional hearing this live and also special because I had worked hard to be there. I had to invest some of my time and money for something nonessential and it really felt like a luxury. And at the same time, I really have this feeling like, everyone should have the opportunity to experience art! Funny enough, there was a large high school group from one of the suburbs at the performance that day and I overheard a couple of them talking about how they were nodding off during it. Haha! I totally remember that as a kid and yet I see that early exposure (Thanks Mom!) as an important part of helping me learn to appreciate classical music.
Seeing A Christmas Carol at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis in December with my family. Originally published as a short story in 1843, this is one of my favorite tales of a successful behavior change. Way to go Scrooge! Seeing it this year was a really special experience. My Mom read my newsletter from last month and called to ask if she could treat us to the show. So my husband, our two kids, and my parents all went together. Thanks for this one, too, Mom! Maybe next year, I'll wear my favorite velour dress, which is a little reminiscent of the styles of the 1840s, although much comfier.
That's a wrap for this year! THANK YOU for joining me on this journey of developing a year-long personal development project and seeing it through to the end.
A leadership tip
Plan a day off in January just for you! Schedule it right now. Plan to do whatever you feel like, but mostly just relax. Enjoy the down-time and notice how it recharges you.
