Time to Change: Why My Resolution Isn’t About Me

That’s it, we are almost at the end of the festive period, tomorrow is New Years Eve and our thoughts turn to next year, which has gotten James Warburton, Learning and Development Consultant for Midwich in a reflective mood. I have known James for many years and he is also a cohost of #LnDCoWork in Manchester which is a great way to meet, connect and chat about all things L&D.

You can connect with James via - https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-r-warburton/ and find out more about #LnDCoWork - https://about.me/LnDcowork

Now, over to James for today’s blog.

It’s that time of year again when reflection ramps up.

We look back at the months that have flown by, often realising things didn’t quite unfold as we imagined.

We all want the year ahead to be better, for ourselves and for those we care about. Yet so much lies beyond our control, and we can’t change that. So, if reshaping the world around us is such a challenge, perhaps the our focus should be:

What do we want to change within ourselves?

That’s a tough question.

Few people have the confidence, clarity, and skills to believe they already are who they aspire to be (or they’re simply living in denial). For most of us, the list of things we’d like to change is long, maybe too long, because we’re often our own harshest critics. So, we narrow it down and pin our hopes on a New Year’s resolution…

When it comes to resolutions, I’ve improved over the years, but I’ll admit I used to be one of those annoying people who turned up at the gym in January and then disappeared before February. I was motivated, but I didn’t have the systems or habits to make change stick. Over time, I’ve learned how to build those habits and create the structures I need, but my resolution this year won’t be about the gym.

Looking back further than just the last year, I’ve realised how fortunate I’ve been with the people I’ve crossed paths with throughout my career both inside and outside of work. Colleagues, managers, leaders, friends; people who believed in me, gave me opportunities, and made a real difference. Their confidence in me often far exceeded my own, but thanks to them, I started to have more belief, to take chances, to grasp opportunities.

So how does this link to a New Year’s resolution?

In my work in the leadership space, I know the importance of helping others feel valued and letting them know when they’ve made a difference. Yet, many of those individuals who I crossed paths with probably don’t realise the impact they had on me.

So, here’s what I want to change:

I want to make sure I let people know the difference they make. That’s what I will commit to.

As we step into a new year, who has made a difference in your life or career? Take a moment to let them know, it might mean more than you realise.