A useful pause before you press ‘go’

I’m continuing to build up ideas for suitable practices and rituals to get the working day off to a great start. I’ve found useful habits for keeping the momentum going and for prioritising.

Now, I’m changing gears a bit, slowing it down and getting into a more reflective mood.

I’ve never been much of a ‘touchy-feely’ person. I’ve tended to just get on with stuff and deal with whatever came up. I found that I developed some touchy-feely muscles when qualifying as an executive coach. I had to get comfortable supporting someone when they moved into an introspective, reflective space.

I’m no longer ‘weirded out’ by it but I guess I still have my limits!

So, here’s something that I tried a couple of years ago at a time when I was struggling a little to build momentum behind my work and business. I’m not sure where I got the idea or the inspiration from but I developed a list of ‘reflections’ with which to start the day. I printed them out on a page and kept it near my desk so I spent a few minutes looking at them and thinking about them before whirring into action.

Here is what was on that page:

Sense of urgency
My time is not infinite
Today will never come again
Now is the time to act
I am at my best when I move with purpose

Clarity of purpose
Why am I doing what I’m doing?
What are my highest priorities?
What do I need to do today?

Self-belief & confidence
I believe in my own capabilities and skills
I am an accomplished, confident and assured professional
Whatever it is, I can handle it

Focus on achievement
It feels great when I accomplish something!
What am I going to achieve today?
What am I going to achieve this week?

Fun and enjoyment
It’s great to be able to choose what I do!
How can I have fun doing what I do today?

It’s interesting looking back on that now. Some of the things that were important to me then are no longer so. I can see a clear development in my confidence and clarity about what I’m doing. And I’m immediately curious as to what might be on my list now should I try to develop another one. And I guess in the spirit of the Effectiveness Project, I probably should!

If you had a list like this, what would you have on it?

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