Embracing Change: How High Performers Adapt and Excel in the New Year
Before getting too far into this article, this is a FREE Goal Achieving Workshop Webinar I created to help you plan for the new year (or any new season) in a way that actually helps you ACHIEVE your goals! Sign up and watch in your own time to help you adapt and excel in this new year as a high performer!
Change is one of life's few constants. As we step into a new year, understanding that adaptation is the key to staying ahead in the game becomes crucial. For high performers, who consistently strive for excellence, allowing for and even embracing change isn’t just a necessity but a skill that is required for success.
Wouldn't it be great to use that desire for change to start the new year off with MOMENTUM?
Embracing Change: The High Performer’s Mindset
High performers possess a unique mindset that allows them not just to weather change but to actually use it to get better results. They view change as an opportunity for growth and innovation rather than an obstacle. Are you striving to become a high performer, but not sure where to start? The following traits are a great jumping-off point to reach a higher level of performance.
1. Embracing Uncertainty
The hallmark of high performers is their ability to embrace uncertainty. They understand that the world is constantly evolving, and they proactively seek opportunities within the unknown. Instead of fearing change, they anticipate it and prepare to adapt quickly.
2. Flexibility and Adaptability
Adaptability is a high performer's superpower. They possess an innate flexibility that allows them to pivot quickly when faced with new circumstances and understand that rigid plans might need adjustments. High performers are open to altering their approach to achieve their goals.
3. Continuous Learning and Improvement
High performers have an insatiable appetite for learning. They recognize that change brings new challenges and opportunities, prompting them to continuously seek knowledge, acquire new skills, and evolve both personally and professionally. Something important to note here is that when I learn something new, I don't completely change or pivot the direction I'm going or asking my team to go. If I'm going to constantly be learning, that would be hard for the team to feel like they are on a roller coaster -- never knowing where I'm taking them. Instead, I let what I learn inform what I could build on that already exists. I also decide what from my learning needs to just be knowledge and what needs to be action.
Strategies to Excel Amidst Change
Now that you know some foundational traits of a high performer, it's important to have strategies that will get you there. Here are some tangible ways to execute your goals this year:
1. Reflect on Your Wins and Lessons Learned
These experiences have shaped you and can provide valuable insights for the future. Don't just set goals...reflect! You can do this by just setting time aside to think, journal, or debrief with a friend. I am a verbal/external processor, so I used a recent podcast to really reflect on my wins and what I learned. You can listen to it here.
2. Set Clear Intentions
Instead of making vague resolutions, set clear intentions for the coming year. What do you want to achieve, learn, or experience? WHO do you want to be in the new year? Define that so each action you take can have a purpose. Use the goal-setting guide in the Highest Potential Planner to help you with this!
3. Declutter!
Clear the physical and mental clutter that may be holding you back. Delete pictures out of your camera roll, clean out closets, organize the pantry, and get rid of extra things around the house you don't use. Don't forget about decluttering your mental space too! They both go hand in hand!
4. Review Your Habits
Examine your daily habits and routines. Are they working for you still? Do they need to be tweaked in any way? You're not held hostage: you've changed habits before and you can again! Make adjustments to create habits that align with your intentions for the new year. Even something as simple as bettering your sleep to serve you better in the new year counts!
5. Express Gratitude
Take time to express gratitude to your loved ones. Gratitude can shift relationships and make the year ahead really positive when you and those around you feel appreciated and loved.
6. Create a Vision Board
Visualizing your goals is POWERFUL! You can use images, words, and symbols that represent your intentions for the new year to create a vision board and display it where you can see it. There are so many options to display (like this one from Target!), just have your goals front and center from the start of the new year!
7. Schedule your appointments
Don't let half the year pass by before you make your doctor's appointments! You might end up letting an issue get out of hand that could result in more appointments or a serious health concern––it's just not worth it! Take time to schedule out all of your doctor, optometrist, dentist, and any other yearly appointments ASAP.
8. Invest in Self-Care
If you have a routine for self-care (which you should and if you don't just start there and commit to it in the new year) it's time to optimize! Evaluate how you are doing with self-care and what areas you want to dive deeper into. Create systems as the new year starts like getting more gym equipment and starting/stopping certain supplements. What can YOU do to support your self-care routine NOW?
9. Connect with Your Support System
Strengthen your connections with friends, family, mentors, and colleagues who support your growth and well-being. Reach out to them and set up some coffee chats for the new year so you can touch base and learn ways you can support each other.
10. Embrace Change
Be open to change and new opportunities. Don't plan so much that you miss out on potential opportunities. Life is a balance.
Final Thoughts
Every day is a chance to wake up to your life! Ending the year and beginning a new one is not just about saying goodbye to the past; it's about stepping into the future with purpose. By taking intentional actions to close out the year, you'll go into the new year with more momentum than ever!
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