Your Year in Review: Essential Questions

Many people don’t realize how much positive change they can create by asking and then answering the right questions. I encourage you to take some time to determine what commitments and course corrections you wish to make and then take inspired action.

Let’s focus on just one per day this week so we are able to let each sit in the back of our minds a bit and see what comes up. I’ll share my answers with you along the way.

1. What is working for you? What isn’t?
2. Where would you like to recommit your focus?
3. What excites you for the year ahead?
4. What can you choose right now to make 2022 the best yet?

Here’s mine for today:

1. What is working for you? What isn’t?

This got me thinking about the Daniel Pink talk about motivation I shared previously. What truly motivates me? To answer this, I had to think about my WHY (Why am I doing what I’m doing?).

Autonomy: I became self-employed 28 years ago to enjoy the freedom and flexibility to do what I want, how I want, when I want, and with whom I choose. To be able to make more money in fewer hours so I have the time and resources to pursue my art. Sounds good. That was a bit naive at 25. I accepted most anything/anyone at first and it grew into habit. As I got busier and busier, work took over my life. Somehow I managed to stick with it. Here I am 28 years later and craving autonomy from my own business. Ironic.

28 years later I still want to make more money in fewer hours so I have the time and resources to pursue my art and enjoy my life. How’s that for a kick in the pants?

Mastery: I think at this point it is safe to say I have mastered my craft of being a designer. I’ve designed so many different things for so many different people. I take pride in my craft and have put in the time. I continually add new skills as technology evolves at a constant and rapid pace. I still love the creative process and there is nothing quite like the feeling you get when stepping back from a new creation to simply take it in.

Purpose: I have always felt my purpose was making things. It’s why I boldly decided to get a fine arts degree instead of pursuing law or medicine (to my parent’s chagrin). A few years ago a coach asked me what is the impact I want to have. I had no idea how to answer. Maybe it is not impact as much purpose. I am a creator. And maybe, just maybe, my impact is to inspire others to chart their own course to autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

What is working for me is being self-employed, making things, working from home, and helping others with a wide variety of things.

What isn’t working for me is the constant struggle to create and protect the white space needed for creativity to flow and the time to actually work on my own projects. There are some very good reasons why this is so, but still, it is something that must change.

Now it’s your turn…

Take some time to think about it and share in the comments below.