Visioning, goal setting, action planning, and even revising systems of execution are staple fare this time of year, and I’ve written many articles touting the benefits of implementing all these practices. One aspect I’ve never explored, however, is the benefit of identifying an overarching theme, that once named, becomes the though-line of all your endeavors and pursuits, driving your ability to stay on task no matter what your day throws at you.
How it works:
Take a moment to look at this past year and notice if there’s a common thread—a theme—that captures how the year went for you. This year be proactive! Pick a theme that will be your guiding principle—an adopted mindset that acts as a compass, steering you toward the best actions that will result in achieving your goals.
A few examples:
Amanda owns a medical exercise practice, and wants to open up another location in a nearby city. She also wants to increase her gross revenue 150% by Dec 31 of this year.
Her Theme: “Grow Baby Grow”
Jeff is a high-level area director in the recruiting industry. He recently spearheaded a massive wave-making staff reorganization resulting in a slew of demotions and promotions.
His Theme: “Straighten-up, Fly-right and Kick Ass”
Kim owns a boutique law firm. This year, she’s decided to take the risk of honing her clientele, focusing 99% of her prospecting and promotional efforts toward serving a single highly specialized market.
Her Theme: “More Money When I Bull’s Eye”
Lee owns a small business consulting firm, but also has another part-time job. Due to time restrictions, family priorities, and financial fear; he has resisted quitting his part-time job and making the consulting job his full-time gig. This year, he decided to jump in with both feet and make it work.
His Theme: “Ain’t Nothing Gonna Keep Me Down”
Putting it in action:
Pick a theme you like. Write it down on a piece of paper, and post it where you’ll see it every day. It will keep you on track if and when your day blows up, and it will guide you at moments when you get stuck and aren’t sure what to do next. Rather than randomly grabbing some busywork for a few minutes, you can quickly assess whether or not what you’re about to do is in-line with your theme.
Obviously the examples I’ve given here are slanted towards career, but having an overall theme for your life works well for the non-professional aspects of your life as well. No need to worry about selecting a theme that’s going to be universally understood; it only needs to resonate with you. Will’s theme this year is, “Sixty at 60”. And mine is, “Come Hell or High Water!”
Have fun with it and share your theme in the comments section below.
