For most of us, the New Year is a time for setting goals; when we look forward with anticipation to conquering past obstacles; bridling bad habits; mastering our actions; and achieving new heights in personal and organizational performance! 

 

While the New Year is a great time for goal setting; if you are like me; all too often, the excitement and determination for achieving our goals is not sustained very long past Jan 1; after which we unfortunately, all too easily, slip back into old habits, once day-to-day routines distract us from achieving our resolutions.

 

I believe we can learn a lot about achieving our goals by looking at pilgrims of old; who made incredibly long, difficult, solitary and yet, exceptionally impactful journeys to far away and sacred locations. How did they overcome overwhelming obstacles in order to accomplish such spectacular outcomes?  Why weren’t they just as easily distracted from achieving their objectives as we are today?  After all, achieving their end goal was neither easy nor straightforward; yet they pressed on despite the challenges all around them!  

 

One difference between us and the pilgrims of old may be the motivations behind the types of goals we are setting today.  Too often, our resolutions seem to be half-hearted desires rather than motivating and enduring aspirations.  Pilgrims of old were anchored to core values and beliefs that compelled them toward achieving a vision of what might be if they were diligent and steadfast in taking one step at a time, despite overwhelming obstacles toward achieving their goal.  With each step of their long and difficult journeys, they believed their struggles were not only worth the sacrifice, but were actually essential in order for them to gain enlightenment and create an enduring legacy for themselves and others.   

When setting our New Year’s resolutions, we too could benefit from a similar vision or “compass” that guides our actions during the New Year so that we too can create a more lasting and impactful legacy where we work and serve.  A worthwhile New Year’s endeavor for each of us would be to closely examine our core values and the vision of what we can and should achieve in life rather than setting well-meaning, yet often frivolous New Year’s resolutions.  Doing so helps us to link our goals and actions to something more enduring than passing fancies or fades.  Then, we, like the pilgrims of the past, would have a more clear vision of the impact and lasting legacy we potentially can have on those around us.  This type of New Year’s resolution is like embarking on the first step of a life-long, inward, personal “pilgrimage” where we strive to “magnify” the seeds of greatness embedded in each of us!  Doing so is like anchoring ourselves to lasting core values and creating a personal and career “compass” that guides our actions and helps us to realize an enduring legacy; all while blessing the lives of those individuals in the teams, organizations and communities were we work and serve.   

 

Please provide your thoughts on goal setting; New Year's resolutions; and personal leadership!

 

Contact us to run the Personal Leadership "Pilgrimage" or other Magnify workshops for your organization or to organize a public workshop in your area; or to to create other workshops to meet your organizational needs:

 

James Gehrke

801 266 0849