Keep Moving Forward

We have a tendency to romantacize the past, especially when our present isn't ideal.  Some people believe that their high school days were their best ever or that college was the best time of their life.  Others long for past loves or mourn over material things that they have lost along the way.  It can be tempting to try and recreate the past as a solution to a present slump.  There's a saying that you can never step into the same river twice.  That's because the water is always moving and changing the river so that, even if you returned to the exact same spot where you once stood, the river is still not the same.  The river has changed and so have you.

We have to be careful not to spend to much time looking backwards and keep moving forward, no matter how wonderful the past used to be.  A mindset of a true visionary is that your best days are yet to come!  This means that we often have to let go of strategies and systems that no longer meet the needs of us, our businesses, or our teams.  Saying, "Well, that's how we have always done it" is an excuse for a lack of innovation, creativity, and efficiency.  Instead, practice the strategy of continuous improvement.  A true leader is a life-long learner that is willing to re-assess, re-focus, and re-strategize!

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help you determine how to keep moving forward:

1. How have I changed in the past year?
2. How has my team changed in the past year?
3. How have my goals changed in the past year?
4. What is working?  What's not working?
5. What can I do to be more efficient?
6. What can I do to help my team grow?
7. What have I read or learned in the past month that can help me to lead my team?

If you would like help or support in implementing a process of continuous improvement for yourself or with your team, give me a call!