Who Owns Your New Year? The good news is; You do!
Some of us are probably glad to have 2009 end while some are hoping that 2010 will be as good as ‘09 if not better. As this first full week of January ’10 ends, most of us have begun to get back in the groove of “normal life” after some travel, good eats and reconnection and celebration with family and friends. Personally, I have had the very good fortune of having to travel back to my former home state of sunny California in order to provide some consulting services for a client. The timing is serendipitous as Pennsylvania and the Northeast are in the throws of the coldest weather so far this winter and Southern Cal is enjoying one of the warmest sunniest January’s in many years.
Early January is a time where many of us use some of our “idle” time to reflect on our past and decide to change some aspects of our lives and behaviors. These changes are often referred to as New Years resolutions. The success rate for most New Years resolutions is so woefully low that I prefer to think of these needed changes not as resolutions but as personal vows and covenants. The recognition that one needs to make personal changes combined with the actions that are required to make significant and lasting changes are usually painful, difficult and scary hence the reason that we often decide not to pursue them.
Part of the discomfort associated with making change owes to the fact that the change process essentially follows the same four phase cycle as does the grieving process; (1) Denial (2) Resistance (3) Acceptance (4) Commitment. Each of us goes through the four steps of the cycle at different velocities depending on a number of factors. Understanding this change cycle has helped me understand why I struggle with some changes and seemingly breeze through others. How one proceeds through the cycle is not nearly as important as the fact that you are committed to making the needed personal changes in order to improve your professional or personal performance, relationships, health and quality of life. The commitment to change ones self in order to improve is a key aspect of personal ownership. True personal ownership is one of the most elusive skills necessary to demonstrate leadership and to have a decent chance at achieving lasting significance.
We are living in a time where many individuals shun responsibility for and ownership of their stuff that didn’t work out as planned. Personally, I enjoy being right, making wise decisions, having successful outcomes and being liked and respected. I often struggle with being and admitting I was wrong, dealing with unsuccessful outcomes do to my unwise decisions, and dealing with people who for some unfathomable reason do not find me charming and witty or in extremely rare (and odd) cases don’t like or respect me. So for this New Year, I am committed to fully own it and to do everything that I can to make me better than the ’09 version.
PS For more content and suggestions on taking ownership and handling career related change, check out my web site and my new book.
Paul
