Today’s Tuesday Reading is by Erika Shoffner, MOR Associates Facilitator and Coach. Erika may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn.
As 2024 fades into the background, it can be expected to feel a tug of emotions: all the emotions. Excitement of what’s to come, hesitation of the unknown, pride of what has been accomplished, maybe even tiredness from the relentless pace of life. It is also the time of year when we find ourselves doing a certain amount of reflection.
In Workshop One of the MOR Associates leadership program, we ask participants to introduce themselves by sharing what they a) what to be known for and b) what they want to be known as. Stopping to reflect on those two questions along with the start of a new year begs the question: how intentional are you being?
So, what do you want to be known for, and, what do you want to be known as?
A colleague shared a quote with me some time ago that presents the notion that the person you think as yourself exists only for you. It explained that every person you meet, or have a relationship with, or make eye contact with, creates a version of you in their minds based on their perceptions and mental models. You are a different person to your mom, dad, partner, each child, each friend, each neighbor, each cashier at the grocery store, and so on. There are thousands of versions of yourself out there, and “you” as you believe yourself to be, may not exist in the same way for anyone else.
Sure, one could argue that you can’t fully predict or control others’ perceptions of you, yet it does beg the question of how intentional you are about how you show up. How do you present yourself every day, in every situation? Do you want to be known for your ability to solve problems? Or help develop future leaders? Or as approachable and coachable? Are you intentionally acting in a way that portrays that? Do you want to be known as someone deeply caring? Someone who values others’ experiences? Are you intentionally acting in a way that conveys those intentions?
It is easy to navigate through life on autopilot, as the fast pace of life and world events can feel overwhelming. As a result, we can begin to believe that so much is out of our control. Our comfortable routines can make us fall into the trap of complacency. Still, we need to believe that so much continues to be within our control, or in the least, within our realm of influence. Through intentionality and action, anything truly is possible. So yes, we may continue to be a different version of ourselves to everyone around us, yet there are common threads of how we are perceived.
A few years ago, I was introduced to the concept of a “word of the year.” Instead of a New Year’s resolution, it was presented in the spirit of intentionality. This word signifies what a person wants to strive for, something to intentionally consider in all their action. A word they hope to live up to. In conversations with others who also use a word rather than resolutions, some of the words shared included calm, neutral, hope, joy and community.
In the spirit of intentionality and accountability, in 2024 I chose a word that resonated with me during a time of great change after a few extremely stressful and chaotic few years. In addition to the word, I wrote out how I interpreted the word and how I would apply it. The word was enough:
Enough. This year, I want to honor this word with acceptance and gratitude.
I am enough. I have enough. Everything I do is good enough and good enough is all I need.
I will accept enough to avoid overscheduling, overspending, and overthinking.
And when I feel like my actions fall short, I will be kind to myself. I will remember that I’m trying my best. I will remember that I’m still learning and growing because that’s what you do when you’re alive.
And I’m so grateful to be alive.
Enough is accepting myself.
Enough is being grateful for what I have.
Enough is having compassion for myself and others.
Enough is seeing the beauty in the imperfect.
Enough is everything I need.
While this was what I needed a year ago, I am in a different place now, and enough won’t continue to serve me well. I consider the potential with the New Year, building intentionally on what I want to be known for and what I want to be known as.
So again, what do you want to be known for and what do you want to be known as? Is a word like enough intentionally getting you there? Or, is there more potential there? Will the actions you take this year lead you closer to these answers? What word might you intentionally choose for 2025 that will continue to be a compass for your actions?
What word would serve you well in 2025?
When you consider your intentionality in 2025, do you want to be:
Last week, we asked which will most help you achieve the results critical to your success.
- 37% said use an accountability partner
- 37% said use my calendar to keep actions on my radar
- 26% said use the MOR portal to track my goals and actions
Whatever you do to help you achieve your goals, the key is to do so with consistency and intentionality. If you are a MOR alum who wants to further explore how to move from intent to action, commitment, and execution, then consider joining us for our January MOR alumni meetup on January 23 (2-3 PM ET). You can sign up here to receive a calendar invite for this virtual sessions.