Zoom Out To Zoom In

It's 2021. Hurray! 

If you read last week's blog, you know that I am an advocate of establishing an action statement in the form of a simple mantra that you can carry with you into the new year. (If you missed that post, you can find it here.)

With your mantra in place, it is time to start identifying exactly what you’d like to accomplish this year.

My favorite way to work is to start by taking the long view and zooming out. Then, after establishing the overarching direction you want to go, take the shorter view and zoom in to see how your short-term choices, actions, and behaviors will ultimately affect your long-term goals. 

Let's start with the long view. Pick one thing you'd like to accomplish in 2021. I know, I know, there are so many things you'd like to accomplish. Don’t worry, you can go back and repeat this exercise with all the other things on your list. For now, just pick one. 

(In case you’re curious, my one thing is: Finish. My. Book.)

When you've landed on your one thing, dig deep and ask yourself, “What is so important about this one thing?” “What about accomplishing this matters so much to me that I would choose to focus on it in 2021?”

Once you’ve answered those questions, it’s time to do the first zoom in. Rather than thinking about the whole year, just think about the month of January. Knowing where you'd like to go, what does that mean for the next four weeks? How will this inform the way you spend your time? The way you spend your money? The things you say yes to? The things you say no to? The people you reach out to? 

Get clear on what your 2021 aspiration means for the next four weeks. 

Let's zoom in one more time.  You've identified something you'd like to accomplish this year. You've identified what it means for the month of January. Now what does it mean for this week? What choices do you need to make in order to start moving toward this accomplishment in the next seven days? What actions do you need to commit to? 

And if you want a bonus question, zoom in even one more time. What does this mean for the next 24 hours? 

By zooming out, you allow yourself to establish your north star. You set your sights on something meaningful and specific. By zooming in, you allow yourself to get granular and clear about what actions you need to take and what decisions you need to make to move in that direction.

You are ready. Get moving!