Begin again…and again…and again
The art of interrupting yourself
Of course you’re ready to begin again. It’s the New Year, we’ve turned the page. Given how traumatic last year was and how disturbing the first week of January was here in the US, begin again is needed now more than ever. As you look at this new year with fresh eyes, I invite you to consider begin again as a resolution in and of itself. In other words, I invite you to begin again not just now, but continually as we move through the year. Day by day. Week by week.
Why begin again matters
In leadership development you’ll hear the phrase, “what got you here (to this level), won’t get you there (to the next pinnacle).” As humans, we are wired neurologically for repetition and patterns. It’s how we can brush our teeth or comb our hair without even thinking about it. It’s also how some people prefer to speak up and others prefer to stay quiet. Our personality is a combination of patterns. It’s what made us survive childhood and helped us get to where we are right now.
Congratulations! You are here. You’ve not only survived, you’ve excelled in many ways due to those patterns.
If life were a dance, we, as dancers fall into a pattern of movement along with the beat. The beat goes on and on and so do we. But begin again gives us permission to stop mid-song and say, wait, is this the pattern I want to repeat? What if I don’t have to keep this going?
Many new year resolutions are about adding something new. Part of the beauty of begin again is you are actually pausing and stopping something first.
If you are happy with all aspects of your life, you can ignore the rest of this message. But if you’d like to improve yourself and your leadership, consider interrupting yourself and beginning again — as a practice. You could be leading a team of direct reports, leading a family or leading a conversation with a loved one. All of these are opportunities to lead.
Beginning again gives yourself permission to look at things with fresh eyes. To question and interrupt yourself rather than repeat patterns that no longer serve. We’re not just talking about diet and exercise. It’s ways of thinking. Ways of engaging in conversation. Ways of taking up space. Anything can be up for interruption. What pattern would you like to disrupt?
A 3 Step Process to Begin Again
What is the change you’d like to see in your life and leadership this year?
What could you stop doing to help bring that to fruition?
When (in what situations, what time of day) might you interrupt yourself and begin again?
Related Articles:
Time Management Trick for New Habits
Begin Again (how dancing demonstrates the power of begin again)
Cheers to you and brighter new beginnings,
Rebecca
