Did you blink? If you’re like most of us, it may feel that way.
How it got to be the fourth quarter with the bulk of the year behind us already (again) is mind-boggling – right?
And your planning for next year is in full swing!
Remember all those promises and resolutions made WAY back at the beginning of the year? Yeah. About those. It’s time to check-in. Where are you? On track? Off-track? Trying to find your running shoes? I get you.
Finishing STRONG is a passion of mine.
It’s my personal mantra. It’s about digging in and making the most of every minute now, isn’t it? Not boo-hoo-ing over what’s NOT done or NOT in your control but celebrating where you are and what you can seriously get done with the time left in the year when you’re FOCUSED on what’s in front of you.
There it is. As a leadership expert and virtual keynote speaker, this is the time of year when corporate event clients are asking me to include some real-world, really actionable ways to help their team members to FINISH STRONG. Sure, they usually mean to help folks re-focus on financial targets and activities that will help people achieve their goals, which is great, and I certainly do. But for today’s exercise? Let’s do this. Let’s talk about FINISHING STRONG personally as well. What does THAT look like to you?
To me? That’s celebrating physical and mental strength. The kind that excites you to hop out of bed every morning and stay at it. (Even when holiday party invites are flooding in or you’re questioning the decision to try the egg nog.)
If you are like me and want to absolutely grab the most from this quarter then tap into these three powerful strategies to help you feel ah-mazing and focus your attention on what really matters to you:
Invest 15 minutes: I know; I ALWAYS say that. Why? Because it WORKS. Each day, invest 15 minutes in YOURSELF. What that looks like is up to you. Meditation for mental strength. Or a walk after dinner with a loved one for a great exercise/connection combo. 10-minute quick calls with a mentor or team member with a 5-minute “download” to stay close to the goals. The practice is personal to you, just make sure you are putting YOU on the to-do list every day for 15 minutes. It’s a smart investment for a healthier, happier, more successful you, I promise.
Love the way you MOVE: Exercise. Ugh-right? I admit it used to be at the BOTTOM of my list too (and I know some of you out there are thinking – hey – SWEATER weather!) Here’s the trick though: find something you LOVE. Don’t roll your eyes. There is always SOMETHING. For me? I discovered running a few years ago and I’m HOOKED. Then? I caught wind of Barre3 and became addicted. I don’t mind insanely early morning classes or long weekend runs because it’s something I love to do. Find what you love to do that will get your body moving.
Make it happen. Right there. In the calendar. You know the one, with the doctor’s appointments and client meetings and super-important can’t miss stuff? Put your time down as a solid must-do because the truth is? If you don’t make an appointment with yourself, you are likely to cancel. Need accountability? Hire a coach. I have a running coach and I meet him twice a week. It gets me out of bed in the dark and when I completed in my workout I have no regrets. Look at it this way… YOU are the only YOU that you’ve got. That your family has. Your partner has. Your business has. Want to lead a long, full, happy and successful life? Don’t neglect the one person you’re going to spend every moment with: YOU. Prioritize yourself.
That’s it. Three little things. They might not seem so little initially. They might feel a little out of your comfort level. And honestly? They might feel a little selfish. Let’s clear that up. Self-care? Self-focus? Self-prioritizing? Is smart business. It’s the key to being a better parent, planner, partner and person. When we take care of ourselves we’re better equipped to take care of the rest of our worlds. So what do you say? Ready to FINISH STRONG?
Want more ideas on how to finish the last quarter strong, you might like this video and blog. Also, watch : How to Achieve Goals and Finish the Year Strong
This video will help you better understand:
– How you can create strategies to finish your year strong;
– How to focus on goals and achieve them before the year end;
– How to develop a daily schedule to accomplish your tasks.
Neen – as always, I love what you’ve written here. Thank you for sharing. I started the year strong, mid-year then began trailing off with a few goals, and so I hired the personal trainer again just last week, scheduled in time to take that morning walk for myself and commit to reading and meditation BEFORE plowing into work or checking emails and social media, and have re-charged for this final push to the end of the year. It seems a monthly recap really helps us. For my family, we sat down in a family council on Sunday October 2nd afternoon, discussed what we accomplished as a family in September, what each person had learned or progressed upon in life (one son said, “I learned how to do the top layer of a Rubix Cube!”) we celebrated it with a fun drive through the changing leaves of Utah, had a yummy dessert Mommy made, and committed to our goals for October. What a fun exercise we will continue to do monthly, to promise ourselves, not simply set the goal that could be altered later, but keep a promise to ourselves and our family that we will follow through. Thank you for this reminder!
My fabulous ‘zone queen’ I love this and how you kept the PROMISE to you and your family. I am with you, I was super focused and feeling strong and healthy when we were in Phoenix for our industry conference (nothing like mainstage to motivate vanity … oh I mean health goals LOL)…. and then I fell off the healthy bandwagon and so this blog is as much for me as everyone else. I am refocussed and being accountable to a dear friend each day as we share how we took care of our health every.single.day. It’s all about creating the moments that matter and paying attention to what really matters. One day I hope to see those pretty Utah leaves you mentioned, see you really soon and thank you for sharing your comments and process with me.
Spot on, as always. Thanks, Neen!
thanks Becky – so lovely to see your comment! Guess who I am flying out to see today? Our fave leader!! Thank you for sharing.
Rockin’ the pink gf! Off to make quinoa fritters come on over! xx
thanks – I miss you my fabulous friend! WE will be in Sydney after Thanksgiving