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- #26- How to set yourself up for a soulful and successful 2024
#26- How to set yourself up for a soulful and successful 2024
Ness Monsequeira
December 22, 2023
The Nature of Leadership and Career
read time 5 minutes
The Nature of Leadership and Career, is a weekly newsletter where I provide 1 illustration and ~3 ideas to help you connect to your career, leadership, or work journey in a more natural way.
Today at a glance
Illustration of the week
- Rethinking career success
The Nature of Career
- 10 questions to make 2024 a soulful and successful year
Career Product, Person, Process of the week!
Product: Book - Designing your life
Illustration of the Week
How asking yourself these 10 questions can make 2024 a soulful and successful year
Reflecting on my journey as a Career and Leadership Coach and Global People Leader in technology, the annual review has been a cornerstone of my growth.
This empowering ritual is a catalyst for your personal and professional growth as an intentional and soulful person.
If you sit down and reflect on these 10 questions, I'm confident that you’ll set yourself up for a meaningful and successful 2024.
☕️ So grab a drink of your choice, put on some soulful tunes, and set aside 2 hours.
Gift yourself time to reflect and plan.
1. What were my key wins this year?
Celebrating your wins is important because it increases feelings of self-validation and confidence.
🧠 Recognizing achievements activates the brain's reward system, fueling confidence, motivation, and resilience for future endeavors.
What were my top 10 key wins for this year? Challenge yourself to include a mix of small and big wins.
Win #1
Win #2
Win #3
Win #4
Win #5
Win #6
Win #7
Win #8
Win #9
Win #10
2. What are my biggest regrets signaling to me?
Regret is a useful emotion to help us redirect our thoughts and actions.
In the Power of Regret, Dan Pink found 4 mega-groupings of regret across life categories:
Moral Regrets
Boldness Regrets
Connection Regrets
Foundation Regrets
What were my regrets in any of these categories?
How will I redirect these regrets in 2024?
Regret redirect #1
Regret redirect #2
Regret redirect #3
For the regrets you don’t redirect, how will you let go of them?
3. Which individuals made individuals made it worth it?
Our year is often defined by wisdom, inspiration, kindness, and connection with amazing humans.
List as many people as you can; family, friends, colleagues, and business networks that brought light and love into your journey.
Person #1 __________________ Why they made it meaningful ___________________
Person #2 __________________ Why they made it meaningful ___________________
Person #3 __________________ Why they made it meaningful ___________________
Person #4 __________________ Why they made it meaningful ___________________
Person #5__________________ Why they made it meaningful ___________________
Bonus: Send them a quick note to let them know how much they meant to you this year.
Who would I like to collaborate and network with next year?
4. How well did I establish and maintain my boundaries?
Our boundaries are one of the most important tools we have to maintain our mental and emotional well-being, safeguard our personal space, and foster healthy relationships.
In 2023 the boundaries I maintained were:
(e.g. at work, with family and friends)
Maintained Boundary #1
Maintained Boundary #2
Maintained Boundary #3
The boundaries that were crossed / that I let be crossed were:
Crossed Boundary #1
Crossed Boundary #2
Crossed Boundary #3
Why were these boundaries crossed?
How will I set and uphold my boundaries in 2024?
5. What is it time to let go of?
As humans, we have a crazy ability to accumulate things. Whilst we spring clean / Marie Kondo our possessions, it’s also important to regularly clear the activities, people, emotions, and habits that no longer serve us.
What has accumulated in my life this year?
What or who do I need to let go of?
Actions I will take to let go:
Action #1
Action #2
Action #3
“I raise up my voice - not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.”
How did I use my voice to advocate for myself?
How did I use my voice to advocate for others?
Did I hold myself back from speaking up for myself?
Did I hold myself back from speaking up for others?
How do I want to use my voice in 2024?
Speak up #1
Speak up #2
Speak up #3
What enablers will help me to find and use my voice?
Enabler #1
Enabler #2
Enabler #3
7. What learning experiences helped me grow?
That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you’ve understood all your life, but in a new way.
What did I learn in 2023:
About myself
Knowledge and skills
Others, society, culture
How did I learn these things? (e.g. reflection, people, media, books, conferences)
What do I want to learn in 2024?
About myself
Knowledge and skills
Others, society, culture
What methods do I want to use to learn next year? (e.g. reflection, people, media, books, conferences)
8. Which career stage(s) am I in?
Our careers tend to follow the same pattern as nature’s adaptive cycle which is made up of four phases; growth, conservation, release, and reorganization.
To thrive in each stage and during transitions we need to know how to create the best conditions at three levels; heart (emotional), head (strategic), and hands (tactical).
Which phase(s) were you in growth, conservation, release, reorganization in 2023? (Read more here)
What did that bring up for you on an emotional level?
What did you do on a practical level to adapt in each phase?
- - -
What phase do you intend to be in 2024?
What will that mean for you on an emotional level?
What will you need to do on a practical level to adapt to the new phase?
9. How do I define career success?
Our definition of career success is one of the strongest drivers of our career decision-making process.
There is no right or wrong way to define career success. It can be a mix of conventional success measures and your personal priorities.
The key is to take the time to craft your career success criteria, preventing you from pursuing a path that satisfies others but contradicts your true desires and wisdom.
What did life and career success look like in 2023?
Career success definition #1
Career success definition #2
Career success definition #3
What do I want life and career success to look like in 2024?
Career success definition #1
Career success definition #2
Career success definition #3
10. 2024, The year of ………?
A practice I started 5 years ago was setting a theme for the year. This can be a nice way to set an overarching tone and intention for the direction you would like to take.
A few of my examples: The year of stability, the year of Big Leaps, the year of Deep Work.
Review your reflections from questions 1 - 9 as a way to decide upon what deeper theme is arising. This will help you theme your 2024.
2024 is my year of ____________________________________
🥳
Taking the time to reflect on these questions, will enable you to unlock deep insights about yourself.
Feel free to share your insights and lightbulb moments with me and others that you trust.
Happy reflection time!
Whenever you’re ready here are 3 ways I can help
#1 Gain clarity and confidence in your career transition
#2 Join the free weekly Career Soul Sessions for women in tech and sustainability. A safe space to share your thoughts, and feelings on all things career.
#3 Follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more Career + Leadership tips to help you thrive.
Product / Person / Process of the Week!
A new weekly segment where I highlight a product, person, or process that is in service to your career. I only recommend people, products, and processes I know or have experience with and I do not receive any monetary or affiliate benefit.
The best book to read about taking a design thinking / build-measure-learn approach to designing your life and career.
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