Newsletter 17: A gift of hindsight.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER…
A free tool for getting clear about what you want out of 2024.
A fun update to this newsletter for next year.
A GIFT OF HINDSIGHT
Hellooo friends. This will be the last edition of the newsletter for 2023 and it's going to be a short one, because I'm currently writing to you from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean! (In case you missed it, I took the last part of this year off to pursue our family dream. More on that over here on our sailing blog and at @sailingpurejoy on Insta if you are interested!)
This extended time at sea has been an incredible opportunity to slow. right. down. And as a result, I'm brimming with questions and stories that will no doubt become fodder for future newsletters. For now though, I simply wanted to share a tool that has been really popular in the past, particularly around this time of year.
If you are like me, you are thinking about how you want 2024 to look - what you most want to experience and accomplish. And the idea of a fresh calendar and a clean slate that a new year brings can send any action-biased achiever directly into planning mode - deciding on those resolutions, writing the vision, even crafting the new routines you want to adopt come January 1st. (Makes sense - ‘By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.’ (Ben Franklin) and all of that.)
However, I'm going to invite you to consider that there's room and really good reason to first take a beat and get a grip on what you've accomplished, created, lived through and learned THIS year, before jumping into all of the visioning and planning.
I've created a simple and effective tool for that and wanted to (re)share it with you - click below to download.
Why am I encouraging you to take the time to look in the rearview before planning the route ahead? Three reasons:
It's all too easy to forget the context in which we operated over the course of a year. Reminding ourselves of the challenges, hurdles and support that surrounded us is a great way to integrate the fact that we can do hard things.
When we learn to hold room for our accomplishments and milestones, we teach our brains and nervous systems that it is SAFE to feel good and worthy. And that kind of feeling helps us to be better in every role we play.
Getting clear on the most important lessons you have learned and want to take with you tends to be a very impactful way of generating clarity around what you want to go after next, and how you want to do it.
OUT OF CURIOSITY UPDATE: What’s your burning question?
The premise of this newsletter is based on the idea that ‘The best, most transformational leaders do not have all the answers. They simply ask great questions.’ (Brene Brown) Bearing that in mind, I want to start hearing more of YOUR questions. I will be taking the questions that are keep you up at night - whether it be about a looming big decision, a transition fraught with uncertainty, a leadership or progression conundrum, an impending high-visibility moment, etc. - and exploring one each month right here in this newsletter. I'm not in the business of telling people what to do, so don't expect an advice column, per se. But you can expect further questions, tools and frameworks might just help you find your own answers.
So…who will go first? Click below to submit your question anonymously.
That's a wrap for 2023! I trust our paths will cross when the time is ripe next year. And in the meantime, you can trust that I am rooting for you, and wishing you a peaceful and energising holiday season, however you celebrate.
In all curiousness,
Joy
P.S. If/when the spirit ever moves you or you have questions - always feel free to get in touch and let me know what’s coming up for you!
P.P.S. Know someone who would enjoy reading this newsletter? Feel free to share!
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