December - will you continue doing ALL THE THINGS as usual and ADD a flurry of more?

December - what is the gap between your expectations and preferences, and others expectations and preferences?

December - what is your vision of an ideal December?

December - what is the vision of your colleagues, staff, partner, family, friends of an ideal December?

December - what is in your control and what is not in your control?

December - what thoughts will remain as contemplative or wishful thoughts and what thoughts will you move to action this time?

No judgements.
No blame.
No same.

Only a values-based, generous invitation to notice, name and choose what matters for the long game for you, and for those you care about.

December leadership. It may look differently this month. And what if it was gloriously, wonderfully, meaningfully different?
In a good way.

Lead yourself well.

It's almost impossible (or IS it impossible) to focus on something that is unclear.

How will you focus on 'what matters' when you have not clearly defined what matters?
How will you focus on your values and purpose when you can not clearly articulate your core values and meaningful purpose?

How will you focus on what you can control if you do have not realistically identified what is in your control and what is not in your control?

How will you consciously unlink thought patterns and behaviours that are sabotaging your definition of a meaningful work and life, when you are not taking time to notice the thoughts that are fueling your behaviours?

I believe these are legit questions.
I believe this is worthy work for anyone who wants to actively equip, inspire or influence a better tomorrow.

Today. This week. Again.
Notice. Name. Choose well.

Your neurons don't care if your focus is conscious, subconscious or nonconscious. They will simply continue to fire in the super highways of your default thinking and doing.

Believe me, it takes grit and work to disrupt the usual ways of thinking and doing to disrupt, unlink, unwire and unsync the habits of being.

Leading yourself well includes a 'notice and name' of your specific super highways of thinking/doing that are not adding to your quality of work and life as you had imagined.

Pause.
Pause daily.
Reflect. Contemplate.
Make the invisible, visible.
Make the subconscious, conscious.
Invite trusted others to help you observe your self-leadership and self-awareness and self-blind spots.

Yes, I understand that life is super busy all the time.
Yes, I understand that some of the world will fall part if you are not available 24/7.
Yes, I understand that people are watching you and you want to role model well.
Yes, I understand that life is complicated and complex.
Yes, I understand that you want to blame other people and other things for how you are right now. (And I understand that there is truth in those words.)
And yes, I understand that you are the only one who can do the deeper work for you and within you - or you will continue thinking/doing what you've always done.
Yes, I understand it's hard work.
And I invite you to this hard work.

It's all way too much fun to have alone. Join the humans who are doing the hard work of unlinking and unsyncing the neural pathways that no longer serve your values and greater meaning in work and life.

Notice. Name. Choose.
Lead yourself well.

Sunday check-in.

You can't do it all. But you will believe that you need to do it all. Especially when you are zoomed in to the unending list of tasks at hand. And yes, they all are urgent and all are connected.

Hmmm, interesting thought.

Try this. Zoom out to the vision of yourself operating in this way.
Is it sustainable?
Is it reasonable?
What are the options?
What are the attachments?
What brought you to this place?
Where is this taking you?
If you had no vested interest in this, how would you look at it?

Lead yourself well in the questions that do not have easy answers.

And as much as possible, be intentional about seeing out the joy and humour of being alive on this messy, beautiful planet.