Playing a Bigger Game: Knowing Who I Am

With New Year’s resolutions abound and ready, we have now entered the final stretch of the year. As the current year ends and a new one arrives, what kind of reflections can you make about this year? Can you earnestly say that you have been playing a bigger game in your life than you have ever before? Taking a step back, can you visualize who you have become? Let us take this moment to reflect upon ourselves with the BusinessLife methodology as this year draws to a close.

Keep in the here and now, and reflect on the following

How much time do you spend to think and rethink your goals? Are you spending a lot of time trying to figure out a way to create the life of your dreams?

Do you get frustrated mentally living in the future, while wondering when your dreams will come to fruition?

What have you done this year that you can bring change for the years to come, to empower and build quality control in your business and life?

Take note of how you have handled situations, connected with people, managed your thoughts, and played your game this year. Do you notice a recurring theme?

If you see patterns of resistance, obstacles, and roadblocks that mitigate your road to success, it may be time to consider making changes to this coming year.

As American businessman Max De Pree once said, “We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.”

Knowing who I am

What kind of changes are we talking about here, to play a bigger game in life?

To perform at a higher level, consider where your starting point is. Focusing on the here and now, not glorifying past accomplishments or condemning past mistakes, where are you and where do you want to go in the next year.

Focus on yourself and your tangible accomplishments

What actions have you taken and what skills have you improved? Earnestly answer the following questions and be honest with yourself so that you may plan for the next year. As you proceed, consider only the past week — do not take on too broad a view, simply focus on who you are today.

What have you written down or taken note of to learn?

If you have chosen the habit of growing your knowledge base, then you know where you stand. Have you sought to learn something new this past week? If not, you may choose to make it a resolution for yourself to take on the habit of learning for growth. Knowing how you learn can dramatically increase your capacity for playing a bigger game in your life and business.

What have you created in the last week?

In this past week, what ideas have you had? Have you been intentional about being creative with your business this past week, so you might play the bigger game you seek?

What are you doing with your current clients and potential new clients?

How have you tended to your relationships with your friends and family, or your current and potential clients, this week? Being conscious about innovating new ways to gain new clients and retain existing clients is the life of your business.  Focus on how can you add value to your clients?

What accomplishments can you give yourself and your team credit for?

There’s an old saying that people do not care about how much you know until they know how much you care. Reflect upon what you have accomplished this week, and give yourself credit for it. Similarly, what has your team accomplished, who has done what, and what is the team result? Be sure to acknowledge them, as well. Being generous with how you honor accomplishments can increase your success in playing your bigger game.

Who are the players in your bigger game and what roles do they play?

How are you interacting with the players in your bigger game? Where are you spending most of the time? If you want to play a bigger game, you may want to consider being intentional about your actions and words. Where you stand today is an average of the five people you are with the most. Are you deliberate with whom you interact?

Reflecting on your behavior

Knowing yourself is one thing, but understanding your behaviors, or your reactions, is essential to recognize where you will need to grow to play a bigger game next year. How would you grade yourself in the following:

• How are you doing in respecting boundaries? What are your boundaries when it comes to your business, colleagues, family members, spouse, and children? Having healthy boundaries can be determined by how you interact with your network.

• Are you deliberate about solving problems? In the past week, were you running head-first into solving problems or were you mentally escaping them? Are you satisfied with your problem solving?

• Are you reflective, and aware, as you move through your day? In this past week, did you go about your day in reactive or proactive modes? How do you tend to the urgent matters and the crucial issues in your life?

• How are you doing with your proficiencies about your powers, strengths, and weaknesses? Have you yet to discover your potential and learn to own them? Where do you excel?  Ask yourself, and consider if we asked those closest to you what you are good at, what would they say?

• Are you taking personal responsibility for the results you produce? What results did you produce in the past week? Are you satisfied not only with the results you observe, but do you take credit and give credit where it is due?

• Are you true to yourself? Do you embrace all of your flaws and imperfections? In this past week, did you speak to yourself with kind or harsh words?

How will you play a bigger game?

Your journey is your journey, only you know the truth, and everyone’s is different. Recognize that by giving all that you can, and choosing to bring forth excellent results. With that, you will grow your confidence and effectiveness, and be playing a bigger game this year end and going forward into the next years. Craft a well-rounded and honest answer to what you have done, who you have become, and where you choose to improve.

Write to us if you would like to learn more about goals, awareness, and coaching. We would love to hear from you.