“Ideas are the currency of leadership.”
Ken Coleman
I know it’s early. Hear me out.
We’re in the fourth quarter of 2022 and there is a lot in front of us to finish the year. It’s that last sprint until the next year starts up and it seems like a long way from now. Except that it isn’t. We’ll be in the holidays soon and November and December get crowded quickly. You don’t actually want to wait until Christmas to throw your ideas together. That’s why this time of the year is a great time to start your planning and goal-setting before the time you think you have slips away.
- You have time but be intentional. The benefit of having a head start now is the time you allow for ideas to mature. It doesn’t have to be perfect now, this is sketch time. Open your notes on your phone (Or Evernote for you forward-thinking people) and start a workspace, “Ideas for 2023”. Having this on your phone will make it accessible no matter where you’re at so in a flash of inspiration, it’s already at your fingertips. Don’t wait until you get home for your notebook or computer. After you create this note, make four blocks underneath representing each quarter of the year (Q1, Q2, etc).
- Ponder the big things you want to achieve next year. Start with the one big thing. Something that if you could only do one big thing in a year’s time, what would it be? What is exciting or necessary? Is it a large project, a career move, a new home? What needs to happen each quarter and month to prepare or set the stage? Whatever the big thing is, put that at the top of your page as a header goal. Maybe you have two or three of them you’re juggling but don’t go more than that on big ones right now. The problem with setting too many big goals is that it’s easy to get overwhelmed by them and none get done. Prioritize and refine to one, maybe two.
- Write it down and make it plain. Habakkuk 2:2 “write the vision and make it plain,” from 600 BC provides sound advice even for us 21st-century technocrats. As you’re pondering, write out and draft your ideas. You don’t need to overcomplicate things, make it clear to yourself (and your spouse if you have one) and let the later planning and production carry details.
What might be a good idea at 3am might prove later unfeasible and that’s ok. As you draw closer to the end of the year, you’ll have a list of actionable goals and items you can decide what to do with. At least for right now, you can seize the opportunity to let your dreaming and doing age like a nice Kentucky bourbon.
— Adam Jarosz
Founder/Leadership Coach
Righteous Co.
I love sharing insights and reflections for the faithfully productive – this article is from Righteous Co.’s weekly newsletter, The Climb. If you want to see content like this and more, subscribe here to get The Climb right in your email box, every Righteous Wednesday. You can also follow along on Instagram @righteousco.
adam jarosz 