Resolutions 2020
Friends,
January has come and gone. I hope it treated you well. I always find January to be a great month and an awesome time of the year. It’s a time when we often have the opportunity to be refocused … rejuvenated … and re-invigorated to find our “why’s” and live them out in our daily actions. New Year’s resolutions (whether you personally make them or not) are kicking into gear … high gear at that. Anyone who went to the gym in the month of January was sure to find full classes or waits for a treadmill that didn’t occur in December. January has telltale signs of resolutions in action. People are more relaxed and full of hope that their dreams will be accomplished.
So, have you ever stopped to ask yourself why your dreams are your dreams? Chances are they revolve around family, health and how your life can support other people. As I have gotten to know our Ladue Schools staff over the last six months, I have realized I have never been around a group of people who care more about what they do and why they do it — and live it out in their daily actions and the choices they make.
With that being said, I recently heard a podcast called the Next Question with Katie Couric where she interviewed Andy Grammer, the platinum award-winning songwriter and singer. In the interview, she shares that researchers have found that the average person has 12,000 - 60,000 thoughts a day. Of those thoughts, how many do you think are negative? Would you believe 80% of them are negative? Or, that 95% are repetitive?
So as we put January behind us I thought it might be wise to put a focus on the rest of the year and in particular on how we help support each other more, and at a deeper level … especially knowing that most of our thoughts are negative and/or repetitive. I am convinced we cannot do it alone.
As we start the rest of 2020, I would like to share a few thoughts that may help you identify some resolutions you may or may not have contemplated. I offer these to you under the premise that helping others is not only a good thing but also might be just as good or better for the person doing the good work than the one receiving help.
There are basically two main thoughts to consider...
Thought 1: Be Greater than Yourself
I am a big fan of the book Greater Than Yourself, and have talked about it and shared it with many people. Essentially, the book encourages you to mentor someone that has goals of doing what you do someday, to really wrap your arms around them and help them learn the tricks of your trade, so to speak, and to care more about their success than your own. The author, Steve Farber, refers to it as a Greater Than Yourself project.
So, as you go throughout the year, consider mentoring another person. You don’t even need to tell them you are doing it. Just give them your time and knowledge, and let them know you genuinely care about their success and happiness. Write or text or a note of encouragement, make that phone call, invite them to lunch, take a moment to say how impressed you are with their work or a project they have taken on. A combination of these on a regular basis can be invaluable to empowering someone to be their best self.
Thought 2: Journal
Along the same vein ... take time to keep a journal. At the end of the week, go back through your calendar, take time to reflect and jot a few notes about those reflections, and give yourself credit for all you have accomplished!
Also, as you review your week, ask yourself what you did to help elevate someone else. How did you let someone know they are valued? If your answer at the end of the week is not what you would hope, then focus on increasing your efforts next week.
So many of our wishes and hopes for the year revolve around ourselves ... lose weight, make more money, get the new car, pay off loans, etc. I am no different than anyone in that department, and all of that is well and good. However, these thoughts have given me more to ponder, and I hope they will for you, as well.
You are the keeper of your resolutions, meaning it is up to you to carry through and not just in the month of January and not just for the purpose of serving yourself. No one will monitor you or even know what your resolutions are. However, I encourage you to hold your resolutions close to you each day in 2020. I hope all of your dreams come true and that at the end of the year you will be able to see that because of your dreams, others are better!
January has come and gone. I hope it treated you well. I always find January to be a great month and an awesome time of the year. It’s a time when we often have the opportunity to be refocused … rejuvenated … and re-invigorated to find our “why’s” and live them out in our daily actions. New Year’s resolutions (whether you personally make them or not) are kicking into gear … high gear at that. Anyone who went to the gym in the month of January was sure to find full classes or waits for a treadmill that didn’t occur in December. January has telltale signs of resolutions in action. People are more relaxed and full of hope that their dreams will be accomplished.
So, have you ever stopped to ask yourself why your dreams are your dreams? Chances are they revolve around family, health and how your life can support other people. As I have gotten to know our Ladue Schools staff over the last six months, I have realized I have never been around a group of people who care more about what they do and why they do it — and live it out in their daily actions and the choices they make.
With that being said, I recently heard a podcast called the Next Question with Katie Couric where she interviewed Andy Grammer, the platinum award-winning songwriter and singer. In the interview, she shares that researchers have found that the average person has 12,000 - 60,000 thoughts a day. Of those thoughts, how many do you think are negative? Would you believe 80% of them are negative? Or, that 95% are repetitive?
So as we put January behind us I thought it might be wise to put a focus on the rest of the year and in particular on how we help support each other more, and at a deeper level … especially knowing that most of our thoughts are negative and/or repetitive. I am convinced we cannot do it alone.
As we start the rest of 2020, I would like to share a few thoughts that may help you identify some resolutions you may or may not have contemplated. I offer these to you under the premise that helping others is not only a good thing but also might be just as good or better for the person doing the good work than the one receiving help.
There are basically two main thoughts to consider...
Thought 1: Be Greater than Yourself
I am a big fan of the book Greater Than Yourself, and have talked about it and shared it with many people. Essentially, the book encourages you to mentor someone that has goals of doing what you do someday, to really wrap your arms around them and help them learn the tricks of your trade, so to speak, and to care more about their success than your own. The author, Steve Farber, refers to it as a Greater Than Yourself project. So, as you go throughout the year, consider mentoring another person. You don’t even need to tell them you are doing it. Just give them your time and knowledge, and let them know you genuinely care about their success and happiness. Write or text or a note of encouragement, make that phone call, invite them to lunch, take a moment to say how impressed you are with their work or a project they have taken on. A combination of these on a regular basis can be invaluable to empowering someone to be their best self.
Thought 2: Journal
Along the same vein ... take time to keep a journal. At the end of the week, go back through your calendar, take time to reflect and jot a few notes about those reflections, and give yourself credit for all you have accomplished!
Also, as you review your week, ask yourself what you did to help elevate someone else. How did you let someone know they are valued? If your answer at the end of the week is not what you would hope, then focus on increasing your efforts next week.
So many of our wishes and hopes for the year revolve around ourselves ... lose weight, make more money, get the new car, pay off loans, etc. I am no different than anyone in that department, and all of that is well and good. However, these thoughts have given me more to ponder, and I hope they will for you, as well.
You are the keeper of your resolutions, meaning it is up to you to carry through and not just in the month of January and not just for the purpose of serving yourself. No one will monitor you or even know what your resolutions are. However, I encourage you to hold your resolutions close to you each day in 2020. I hope all of your dreams come true and that at the end of the year you will be able to see that because of your dreams, others are better!
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