“There’s a reason we are drawn
to gazing at the ocean.
It is said the ocean provides
a closer reflection of who
we are than any mirror.”
-Rick Rubin, author of The Creative Act: A Way of Being
What gives YOU a closer reflection of who you are?
How was your 2023? What are your hopes for 2024?
Here’s a fun and easy exercise to consider both. It’s called “The Wheel of Life,” from the the Co-Active Training Institute.
Pick a number between 1 and 10 for your satisfaction in these areas of your life (1 is the lowest and closest to the center of the wheel; 10 is the highest and closest to the outer edge of the wheel):
Feel free to modify the categories if you like.
Each category is like a wedge or a slice of pie in the wheel.
Plot your numbers around the wheel and then connect the dots.
The purpose? To see how smooth or bumpy your ride of life is.
The bigger the variation in numbers among categories, the bumpier the ride.
You can also use this to reflect on:
The wheel of life is one of the first exercises I learned in coach training at CTI.
It was fun to revisit it today with year-end reflection and year-ahead planning.
What are your reflection and planning rituals? Would love to know in a comment!
As a leader, how do you savor your Sunday?
What are the ways you can be completely in the moment? And why is this important for how you live your life and lead in the coming week?
Savoring is a concept I learned about in the most popular course at Yale University. It’s about happiness, and it’s called “The Science of Well-Being.” Taught by psychologist Dr. Laurie Santos, the free course is available on Coursera.
When you savor something, you are in the moment, fully enjoying the experience.
You are not thinking about last week’s problems, or the coming week’s stuffed calendar, or all the tasks on your to-do list.
Instead, you are fully present. You are stepping outside an experience to fully appreciate it. You are noticing the sights, sounds, and smells of your surroundings. You are completely enjoying what you are doing or how you are simply being.
We live in a world that values doing, doing, doing. All the time.
How about simply BEING for a few minutes or hours? Not DOING anything.
How could simply “being” help you savor today? How could it help you find pleasure in the moment?
And when you return to a “doing” state, here are the savoring tips I learned:
1. Sharing the experience with another person
2. Thinking about how lucky you are to enjoy such an amazing moment
3. Keeping a souvenir or a photo of that activity
4. Making sure you stay in the present moment the entire time
5. Journaling about the experience and your reflections on it
When you feel fulfilled and savor Sunday as time off, a few things happen.
First, you truly enjoy life as it unfolds, which is the best gift of all. Life is a series of moments, and you’re there for all of them.
Second, you start your work week in a calmer and more grounded place, ready to lead people in a more inspirational way.
What experience will YOU savor today?
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