Vision. Goals. New Year’s resolutions.

It’s that time of year when it makes sense to take stock of progress made (or lost), lessons learned (or ignored), and new directions identified.

A major part of my work with clients is around their vision. Their goals. Whether I’m helping them clarify these, achieve them, or both – that’s where we work.

A vision or a goal is an expression of desire. And desire is something that can create complicated feelings and actions.

It can feel vulnerable to communicate a desire. Many people find it easier to communicate something they don’t like. It can sometimes be difficult to reveal something you do like or want.

This is an early challenge of leadership. Being comfortable with expressing a desire that others may not “get” or buy into.

Effective leaders, though, learn to share this. They must share it. It’s actually not possible to lead much without sharing it.

What Makes This Important to You? What Does This Mean to You?

I often ask leaders one or both of these questions after they’ve told me about a vision or goal. Their answers and responses are enlightening. Because a vision or a goal is rarely what it seems.

Our visions or goals mean something to us. Often, what they mean is tied to one of three things – our sense of significance, our sense of security, or our satisfaction in life.

In nearly 20 years of coaching and consulting, I’ve found that this first one, significance, tends to be the major driver for most ambitious leaders.

Many leaders want security, but they’ve often lived to learn with risk. Many want satisfaction, some sense of the “good life”, but most know how to live without it.

But nearly all leaders are driven by some desire related to significance. And very few are willing to do without that.

For leaders, this is important to pay attention to.

To what degree might our vision for our organizations be driven by our internal need and desire for significance? To what degree can that cause us to relate to others as either means or obstacles to an end?

Something to think about as you set your New Year’s Resolutions.

The Price of Gold

As you consider what you want to accomplish this year, I have some questions I encourage you to add to the mix.

Craig Ballantyne, the best-selling author of The Perfect Day Formula, is an important mentor of mine. He recently introduced me to an exercise he calls “The Price of Gold”. I’ve received his permission to share it with you in his words:

PART ONE (with example answers)

1. Where are you getting approval for things that do not serve you?

For example, “everyone says you are the hardest worker, so you work longer hours”

2. Who is giving you this approval?

Colleagues, people on the Internet… (basically no one important!)

3. Why are you seeking this approval?

Ego. Image. Dopamine.

4. What is this costing you?

Time with family… your relationships… your health!

Now that we’ve figured out the negative…

Time to move to the positive and re-train your brain on the right moves…

PART TWO:

1. What do you need to get approval for doing?

Being present. Turning off my phone. Working better, not longer.

2. Who are the right people to give approval?

Wife, kids, dog 😃

3. How will this better serve your vision?

I’ll become a more effective entrepreneur… delegate more… and become a leader.

 The solution is to work ON the business, not IN the business!

What Price Are You Paying for Gold?

Gold is valuable. But only if we don’t pay more than what it is worth.

Our significance – or any other driving desire – is valuable. But is the right cost being paid? And who is really paying it?

For 2023, I hope that your goals are ambitious. And that you are able to achieve or make significant progress toward them.

But more importantly, I hope you realize that you are a person of great value and you were created to bring great value to others.

I believe that God gives us our value and our ability to bring value. Remembering this helps me feel less driven to prove or seek my own value or significance. Because I do feel that drive.

For me, this makes sense.

However, you make sense of it, I wish you a very successful 2023. And I hope that the gold you seek is worth the price you pay.

Take good care,

Christian

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