Here’s an idea that can revolutionize your business and your life. Many organizations have retreats, but how many professionals do you know who take the time to go offsite and reflect and strategically plan on their career and life? A new year brings resolutions for many that are often broken before the end of January. How about planning some significant time to go off on your own and put some focused effort into your career? This process is commonly called retreating, although I like to refer to it as advancing; after all, you want to move forward.
Your thinking, ability to concentrate, and focus will improve when you can escape to an environment conducive to creative thinking and planning. Find a place where there are no ringing phones, pending projects, or other distractions. To maximize your productivity, leave your beeper behind, turn off the ringer on your cell phone, and block out some time when you don’t feel rushed by other commitments. If you completely clear your calendar and don’t call for messages, your productivity will improve dramatically. I recently read that Bill Gates even copied my idea! Except Bill does a whole week and calls it his “thinking week.” He was quoted in USA Weekend:
Ours is a field that moves very fast. You have to be able to take a step back. Many years ago, I decided to take a week off each year and absorb myself thinking about many years ahead. I ask my colleagues to put together which dissertations I should read, which products I should play with, which memos I should look at. So it has been, except for sleeping a little, day and night, alone, without interruptions.
If Bill Gates can do this, I hope most of us can find at least one day to spend on proactive thinking and planning. I did my first shoot on a beautiful remote beach on the Florida panhandle. I spent some time working on the beach and some time inside the beach cabin I had rented. That one-day breakthrough resulted in more career growth and action than anything else I’ve ever done in my business. Since then, I have had a one or two day session every year. I’ve made my breakthroughs in state parks, at Bed and Breakfast Inns, on a camping trip, and in hotel rooms. Think of an environment that you enjoy and that stimulates your creativity. You can try the mountains, a quiet park, on the beach or by the lake. Before you go, give some thought to what you want to accomplish in your planning retreat. Here are some things to consider as you move forward:
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o Set general goals
o Develop large projects
o Brainstorm ideas and new products
o Plan educational opportunities to grow your career
o Write or revise your personal mission statement (you may want to read or reread Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People before moving on).
Questions to ask:
o What can I do to develop and promote my uniqueness in my career?
o How can I continue to grow as a manager, salesperson, or business owner?
o What questions can I answer for my clients or my organization?
o Am I doing what I have been called to do or am I naturally doing better?
o How do my family and friends influence my work?
o Am I being challenged and fulfilled in my work?
o How will I stay energized and motivated?
what to do with your day
o Carpe diem: start early and work hard in the morning.
o Eat foods that help you stay energized
o Make sure you are well rested before you leave
o Take an afternoon nap or a short walk
o Reward yourself and play a bit after you have achieved the desired result
What Brig:
o Four to six colors of chips, 15 to 20 of each color
o Something to record your thoughts and ideas
o Some motivational material to read
o Your favorite inspirational music
o Your planner and calendar
o A notepad and colored pens.
How to do it
Write a title card for the area you are brainstorming. Write an idea per card as soon as it appears, without evaluating the ideas or devising action plans. Or if you’re familiar with mind maps, create maps of each of your main ideas. Use the different colors for the different categories. After you have written down several ideas, distribute the cards and prioritize them. When you get back to the office, post all your ideas on a bulletin board in order of priority to stay focused. Put them where you can see them every day. Don’t get frustrated when interruptions happen, as they will inevitably happen. Find some way each day to work on high-priority goals. Do something every day that brings you closer to achieving your overall goals.
Remember the words of the famous anonymous philosopher who said: “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got.” Take the opportunity to make this year your best year yet. Schedule a time, block it on your calendar, and get ready for an amazing year!