In the latter part of the fall in 2019 I was tasked to establish my own personal mandate. It was an objective of sorts that would move me from point “A,” the current state of things/status quo to a point “B,” also know as a new future point of purpose. This was not some far off, fantastical future, but rather something that was very realistic that would happen within a short span of time (90 days).
For me, my mandate was that my wife would have the freedom to take a year off of work to stay home with our newborn son, which thankfully happened, but not necessarily in the way I had expected. Yet, the learnings I gathered through the process have been instrumental in my personal and professional life, and hopefully can a useful tool to you as well. I would like to walk you through the three major stages in my journey:
Stage One – The Current Scenario
This stage was really about me telling my story and answering the question of what is going on in the surface, followed by a more expansive part where I began to explore and unfold the tale and reflect on feelings and thoughts that swirled in mind about my current situation.
Then, came the more challenging part. With the help of reflections I began to uncover the blindspots/gaps in my assessment in my situation and unveil that patterns and/or behaviors that have been both helpful and harmful. This step brought energy as I sought to move myself from “stuckness” to a more hopeful place.
Stage Two – The Preferred Scenario
This stage was about opening up the picture of what I really wanted, and how I could be better. To put it simply, what was my ideal scenario? This was an exciting stage full of imaginative thinking, but also some reality testing as well.
From this creative and visionary brainstorm I began to formulate SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable/Appropriate, Realistic, Time-based). These goals being demanding, yet achievable became a motivating factor in moving forward. Yet, it also made me access the worth of it all, by examining the costs and benefits of actually achieving the goals and begin testing my commitment to my mandate as a whole.
Stage Three – Strategic Action
This stage answered the question, how will I get there? This was the time I started doing something and considering what/who might help and hinder me in making change. Now, I simply didn’t just set a course and run full steam ahead. Rather, I began asking myself, are there different ideas for action to meet the same goal. However, eventually I had to narrow my options and begin focusing on the most appropriate strategies.
In this step I used what is know as the “Force Field Analysis” (FFA) to look at what internal and external factions (individuals and organizations) that were likely help and hinder my action, as well as strengthen or weaken my efforts respectively.
And ultimately, I had to move into action. I had to make a plan with step one, step two, and so on. And in the end, I met my goal.
Yet, even though I met my mandate, my journey is not over. There is always a new story that needs telling. There is always a new vision to bring into the light.
Vision is defined as getting clear on you life and what you need to do to move past your strongholds to have a breakthrough. And as much as I still want that for myself, I want to help you realize your vision and support you in your journey, whatever that may be.
So in the posts that follow, I’d like to walk you through a process of transformation. After all, aren’t we all in need of a breakthrough?
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE? 