More and more business owners are turning their eyes to strategic planning. There has been a lot of hunkering down this past year. Put your head down and plow through. In some cases, people have been in denial and are now just waking up to what has been happening. It has been hard to see past the pain of what has transpired in the past year for most people. On the other hand, some are stronger and surer and are eager to plan for the future. In each case, we are finally seeing the whites of each other’s eyes – peering over in shock or gratitude; uncertainty or excitement.
It’s time to plan.
I’m a business owner who supports other business owners. However, if I am to walk in the shoes of leadership, I decided I’d better put my money where my mouth was. If I want to support my clients to create a dynamic plan that provides enough oomph to move forward passionately and confidently into the next thing/phase, I had better do some planning on my own
But I was stuck. Why couldn’t I get clear?
Because I wasn’t clear. A clearing needed to happen.
I often start my clients with a process to do an emotional clearing so that the regrets and resentments get surfaced and movement into the future is not clouded by the pain or frustration or limitations of the past.
What I needed to do was a PHYSICAL clearing. It was so obvious. I was in the middle of clutter. Much like my mind might be. The clutter pulled me away from the task at hand. I would move a pile here, a pile there. I’d sit on a substandard chair and try, in too small of a work space, to create what I was trying to create. I was constricted and contracted physically just like I might be mentally and emotionally if my mind was full of stuff.
I cleaned and cleared my office. Bags of junk tossed and piles of paper for recycling. Off to find a bigger desk…because now that I am clear and can plan, I’m going to need more room.
It’s time to plan. What do you need to clean, clear, gather, eliminate or reorganize – physically or mentally?
To your inspired leadership,
Mary Pat
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Tags: Business Planning, coaching, Developing Strategy, Executive Coaching, leadership, self-knowledge, Strategic Planning, Strategy