As we reach the end of the first quarter of the year, it is time to wrap up this quarter impactfully: a time to pause and consolidate your learning before jumping into the next quarter and onwards.
I’m results-driven, and there is nothing more that I love than helping you reach your results. In my newly published Lead Beyond The Edge book, this is exactly what I do, and here I’ve put together a 3-step plan to guide you to wrap up this quarter, and indeed, every quarter after that, impactfully, so that you can start the next quarter strong.
1.1 PLAN to REFLECT
Where you are today is the direct reflection of the thoughts, decisions, and actions you took days, months and years ago, which actually means that where you will be tomorrow will be a direct reflection of the thoughts, decisions, and actions you are about to take now.
As you read this, I’m sure you are nodding along in agreement: it does make sense, right? So how do you make it happen? By planning. Planning is one of the thinking processes we refer to as cognitive control, which is the scientific name used to describe a series of neurocognitive processes especially required for the control of behaviour to facilitate your goals. In this instance, planning.
You are now ready to plan to reflect by making the time to do so. Plan for it in advance; in fact, let’s do it right now: pause reading this article, open your calendar and add 4 recurring Quarterly Reflection entries in your diary for 2021.
1.2 REFLECT to LEARN
Ok, so here you are; end of the quarter and you have the time you have blocked. Have lots of blank sheets of paper, post-notes, pens and highlighters to hand. Have your computer, so that you can access data if you need to, but please make sure you have turned off emails and any social media alerts: you’ll want to ensure you are not distracted.
Yes, you are reading this right: I want you to not do this on the computer: writing by hand has successfully been used for centuries and, thanks to neuroimaging techniques, scientific advancements have been made over the last decade, highlighting its effectiveness even more.
You are now ready to reflect to learn and for this I’m sharing with you my 5-question framework to help you and your brain be at your best. Ask yourself, what should I: Start doing? Stop doing? Continue doing? Do more of? Do less of? Start writing to learn, gaining insights from the past 3 months.
1.3 LEARN to EXPECT
Next, we turn our focus to your expectations as you are now ready to learn to expect. I’m passionate about the power of awareness because that knowledge gives us the confidence to move forward. Expectations are beliefs that things will unfold a certain way. They help us to make sense of our world.
The key here is to manage your expectations so they are not managing you. See this as data research: this step helps you collect the data so you can alter and adjust your behaviours as necessary to set positive, realistic and successful expectations for each of your outcomes.
Getting your expectations right, by accurately expecting what will happen throughout the goal achievement journey, is important as it keeps you motivated to keep going as you start planning your next quarter of activities and goals.
And voilà, this 3-step plan helps you to engage your brain to its best as you take action. Your actions are moving you and your life, career, organization forward. Do wrap up every quarter that way to lead beyond the edge and achieve extraordinary results.
Biography
Frederique Murphy is a leadership mindset strategist who inspires and equips leaders to move through extraordinary change. With her Mountain Moving Mindset (M3) platform, as a multi award-winning international keynote speaker and consultant, she delivers inspiration and scientific strategies, instilling beliefs, attitudes and behaviours to drive powerful transformations. With strong business acumen (17 years’ experience in corporate change), scientific expertise in positive psychology, neuroscience and behaviour change and strategic vision, she helps organizations – including Fortune 500 companies – and associations reap the benefits of tapping into the power of their leaders’ minds to rewire their brains for success and make change happen. When Frederique takes to the stage, sparks fly: she is a passionate and charismatic speaker who captivates audiences and awakens the neural paths in their brains. She’s also the author of a new book, Lead Beyond The Edge: The Bold Path to Extraordinary Results.
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