The end of the calendar year is a time for reflection. As 2018 slides into 2019, here is a short reflection on what I’ve learned from 2018 and what I want to carry forward into 2019. To keep this light among the cavalcade of reflections, here is a list of what I want to see More, Better, Different and Less in the New Year with each list capped at three things
More
- Compassion: I have found this year that first judgements can be poor and that I benefit from having greater compassion for the circumstances of others. Part of this is also having greater compassion for myself. Compassion seems wanting in our world.
- Courage: I need to keep taking risks, saying what needs to be said and pushing myself to do what needs to be done
- Fun: Remember to enjoy each day.
Better
- Conversations: I want to have more of the fierce, critical and constructive conversations that found great relationships.
- Relationships: I am the sum of my closest relationships. I will focus on making them better.
- Creativity: Creativity is something that we can experience in every moment. I’m looking forward to bringing that to life better in 2019.
Different
- Focus: I always have a lot on the go. In 2019, I am keen to try a little focus.
- Mindsets: I am worrying less about the expectations of others. I am also going to focus on my confidence in my own course of action. I will recognise that setbacks are just part of the learning. I will continue to trust others first, but 2018 taught me yet again to trust and verify. ‘Given a choice between incompetence and malice always choose incompetence’.
- Routines: Late in 2018, I started shaking up a few routines to give fresh perspectives. I want to continue that into 2019.
Less
- Tiredness: In 2019 I will be tired less and find better ways to rest and recuperate
- Doubt: In 2019 I will doubt myself less (and devote less time to its cousin worry). All this time is spent better talking or doing.
- Waiting: It feels like I spent a lot of 2018 waiting for things. In 2019, I will keep getting on with it while I wait for others.
Of course, if I could choose three things from the world I want to see less of in 2019, it would be:
- Hatred: the Other is just a poor mirror and society is not a zero-sum game.
- Lies & Deceptions: Separating ourselves from reality is no solution.
- Thought leadership (especially of the Linkedin marketing kind): We have enough platitudes and silver bullets. Lets deal with the real complex and hard work we need to do together.
I really love your reflections Simon. As someone who took a break for most of 2018 from blogging and sharing things on twitter/linkedin, your last point about “thought leadership” really struck a cord. I think I am craving real conversations. I have recently started to re-engage publicly but am trying to find the balance of sharing my thoughts on what I am finding/thinking and spamming. I have never been much for tracking my “audience” as mostly my journey has been about me and reflecting on what I am learning. If it happens to help someone that is awesome but it is/was never my intent.
Kate, thank you. I agree with your desire for real conversation and the learning that flows from good discussion. I have come to the view that I blog for my own clarity and to enable others to join in the discussion and we learn together. Like you I’ve never cared for the numbers game and there’s little correlation between what I’m interested in discussing and numeric success. However one good conversation justifies everything. This also gives me the comfort to ignore the plagiarism, the unjust criticism and the other strange abuses that come at times too. It’s a lot rarer when you are attracting only a likeminded audience who need to make an effort to engage with your work but it still happens from time to time.