Here in the Pacific Northwest the nights are still long, but the sun is making an appearance a bit more frequently. We are rounding the corner with the start of spring and the first quarter of 2022 nearly complete!
I find that the end of each quarter is a good time to take stock of how I am doing on my resolutions – or to determine what new goals I should pursue given changes in the environment since the start of the new year.
2022 is proving to be very challenging. One of my resolutions is to write more. I have ideas that I want to get down on paper, but this process does not come as naturally to me as I would like. Tore-inspire myself as I work to take up the pen again, I re-read my sister-in-law’s new year’s letter that I keep on my desk because I find it so motivating. Kristine Wilson sent this letter to her community to help inspire others to meet their goals. I share, with her permission, with our community to inspire you:
From Kristine Wilson
The first day of a new year is a new beginning. And, like many of us, I’m considering today my 2022 resolutions. What will we resolve to do in ’22? As I consider it, apart from the perpetual health resolution to exercise more and eat less, most of what I’m thinking about fits within “RESOLVE” as an acronym.
Reflect: The events of the past couple years have prompted a lot of reflection – and given us time to look back. We need to keep looking back before we move forward. Hindsight is always clearer – but if we never look back, we don’t learn from our experiences or see the faithfulness, grace and acts of kindness that have touched us.
Endeavor: We can’t just sit around; we also have to act. And I like the word “endeavor” because it means to try hard to achieve something. With my 2022 goals, thinking of those actions as endeavors makes it feel more like a noble mission. So, save this label for the acts that really deserve that grit and extra effort. A year without endeavors may be restful, but a year with them is pretty fulfilling – even if it’s just the journey.
Serve: Keeping a mindset of service allows us to get outside ourselves. We provide something useful for someone or something else. Serving gives meaning to our endeavors. For Christians, we are called to service. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John15:12-13) Service ultimately draws us back to the One who created us.
Observe: This goes along with “remind” and could also be paired with “listen.” If we don’t keep our eyes open to what is occurring around us, our endeavors and service could be done without noticing important cues. While I want to act, I also want to be a keen observer. That’s different than being a bystander because it suggests that we are perceiving and recognizing significance – which leads to “L”…
Learn: I have a quote from Gandhi in my office, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” It really is great to learn something every day. We all have that opportunity. There is so much to learn – and to unlearn and relearn – in our world.
Voice: Not everyone is in a position to speak up all the time – but all of us are in a position to speak sometime. Your voice is a valuable resource. Use it to share, educate, advocate, encourage, empower, praise and rebuke.
Equity: I’m sure we have all been told – and experienced – that “life isn’t always fair.” But, as Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” God has given us resources and opportunity to bend that arc in a more just and equitable direction. I saw this image (below) recently depicting the difference between equality and equity. Let’s see if we can get to know one another and our respective circumstances enough that we can provide more equity in our world.
Kristine Wilson is land use and real estate lawyer and Office Managing Partner of Perkins Coie’s Bellevue, WA, office.
*Kristine notes that the opinions she expressed within this post are solely her own and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of her firm or its clients.
Thank you, Kristine, for sharing your voice with me and allowing me to share it with the Seasons Leadership community. At Seasons Leadership our vision to transform the world one leader at a time drives us to reach individuals at all levels of their personal leadership journey and to make positive leadership the norm rather than the exception. Amplifying Kristine’s voice helps us achieve our mission to accelerate leadership excellence, responsibility and growth worldwide.
How are you doing on your resolutions and goals for 2022? What inspires you?
Read more about prioritizing and meeting goals in the Almanac:
A Winning Mindset Takes Perspective and Planning
* AND DOWNLOAD OURGOAL-SETTING FREEBIE for more guidance*
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