Becky Tibbetts, PCC

The biggest reward for me is the inner satisfaction of a job well done. But I have also found that sharing wins with a friend or co-worker multiplies the joy. For larger and more long-term goals, I might buy something that pertains to that goal, such as a new pair of running shoes after completing a half marathon. Or going to dinner with my husband or friend to celebrate a business win. This year, one of my business besties and I plan to meet up in Florida to celebrate our business success together.

“We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience.” ― John Dewey Taking the time to reflect on our experiences will create tremendous growth and impact.

The saying "You can't pour from an empty cup" is absolutely true. Along with another one I learned a few years ago. I must keep commitments to myself. We are all busy keeping commitments we make to everyone around us. But do we keep the commitments we make to ourselves? If you're like me, this can be a struggle. But one struggle I'm happy to say is no longer an issue. When we reframe Self-Care as Self-Stewardship, something switches in our brains. Did you feel it? Now, keeping commitments to ourselves is about stewardship, about taking care of the life entrusted to us. It's NOT selfish at all. Now, I rarely deviate from my morning routine: Reading, Journaling, Silence/Prayer, Affirmations, Exercise, and Visualizing the amazing day ahead.

One thing I found helpful in prioritizing my tasks was a system to keep track of all the tasks I had on my plate. My favorite tool is Trello, but there are a bunch out there. David Allen, in his book Getting Things Done, talks about open loops in our minds that drain our energy. So, by using Trello, I get it out of my head and onto my list to deal with at the right time. Now I don't worry about forgetting anything, and I always have my list with me since it's on my phone. Win-Win. Yes, to energy rebate and less stress!

When setting goals, I've found it helpful to plan the big picture and then break it into quarterly goals. You can only focus on 3-5 big goals at a time. While I like SMART goals, I've found that SMARTER goals work best. E-Evaluate and R-Readjust, which I perform at the end of each month. I ask myself: What worked and what didn't work? What do I need to be successful this next month? By doing this exercise early and monthly, I have been able to make adjustments before completely missing a goal deadline. I've navigated roadblocks, realized my need for accountability, dealt with limiting beliefs, and readjusted quickly so I could accomplish my goal.

With any assessment or feedback it is important that it is Acted on. No more taking assessments just to take them. What did we learn? How are we going to implement that learning? As a result, what are the goals moving forward? If you cannot answer those questions after an assessment, then there's a clue that the assessment is not valuable and should be discontinued. Good assessments provide actionable next steps toward growth for individuals and organizations.