“Never underestimate the power of Intentionally Focused Thinking!”
— JSP
Do you schedule quarterly personal reviews to monitor your progress in personal development and leadership effectiveness?
How are you verifying the pursuit of fulfilling your vision, and walking out your values?
What have you learned about yourself this year?
I schedule my quarterly personal reviews every year in January. I look forward to reviewing my performance throughout the year; they keep me on track to achieve my objectives and sometimes surprise me in areas where I’m underperforming, enabling me to uncover why.
Michelle Sandlin says, “There is no greater journey than the one that you must take to discover all of the mysteries that lie within you.”
1. Looking Back Enhances Your Probability of Success Moving Forward
“Stopping to think about where it’s all going will save us from having to stop and think about where it all went.”
— JSP
Being intentionally thorough in your self-assessments adds value to your future growth potential.
Be specific when questioning yourself, and be honest with your answers.
Doing so will help you discover things about yourself that will cause you to see things differently in the future. You’ll find what motivated certain decisions (sometimes ulterior motives), and you’ll begin to recognize where you tend to make emotional decisions. You may also uncover why you seek the advice of your team in some situations and not others.
2. How Effectively Are You leading yourself?
“The caliber of leaders following you is commensurate to your level of effectiveness in leading yourself.”
— JSP
How well are you managing your emotions?
How well are you managing your time?
How well are you setting and managing your priorities?
How well are you managing your mental, emotional, and physical health?
How often are you scheduling quality think time?
How are you managing your personal and family life?
The habit of periodic honest self-evaluations opens our eyes to the positives and negatives within us, enabling us to capitalize on our strengths and sharpen our thinking skills; new levels of self-awareness are always the result. Voltaire said, “No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.”
I’ve found my “quality think-time” empowering by helping me understand where I’ve come from, knowing where I am, and accurately seeing the path ahead. Despite its variables, my future is no longer a mystery. You, too, will be empowered to:
See that past, present, and future events can be utilized to strengthen your resolve.
Recognize trends and patterns through wisdom gained by assessing your past.
Recognize and proactively address your flawed habit patterns.
John Maxwell writes, “See what a person is doing every day, day after day, and you’ll know who that person is and what he or she is becoming.” Make a plan to grow a little every day and grow the leader inside of you. (1)
In Conclusion
Quarterly personal reviews are invaluable in helping us understand ourselves. Knowing who we are and how we think and behave clarifies how and where we need to improve ourselves.
Blogger and Professional organizer Shara Ryan aptly states, “To be able to make progress in any area of your life, you need to know who you are, what you want, and what steps to take to get there. Asking yourself the necessary questions before you start will allow you to go down the correct path.”
End Notes
(1) The Law of Process from “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”
*** This article was authored by John Picarello, Chief Leadership Officer at Lions Pride Leadership Co. ***