It's the person you're becoming, not the job you do or the business you run

As many locations begin to slowly open up, some faster than others, I don’t know about you but for me there comes a mix of relief and anticipation for the things we’ve missed: connection, hugs, seeing people we care about, traveling, greater sense of stability & security.

And, reservation and cautiousness. For me the reservation comes from, not wanting things to go back to exactly the way it was….I want to incorporate some of the changes and things I’ve come to carve out space for: a greater sense of my own purpose, more frequent consideration of my personal wellbeing, making space as a nuclear family in busy weeks, and more space in my calendar and shifting my relationship with time.

Have you noticed any of these things too?

Amidst the worry, anxiety, and fear of the past 15+ months, the challenges have been great. But, what came from that were new perspectives, new ways of working and being, new ways of relating with each other and much more.

Possibly an awakening to new possibilities?

It may even be difficult to articulate. Even as I write this, it’s difficult not to sound too abstract and general, and yet, I feel like it still is.

This note to you today is not about providing you a strategy or a ‘to-do’. In fact, I want you to step back from the ‘doing’ for a moment. Step back from the calls, the emails, the conversations, and strategizing.

I simply want to invite you to consider….what has shifted for you during the last six to twelve months?

And, how would you like to move forward given this shift?

Taking this intention with you informs HOW you re-integrate with your world and informs WHO you are becoming as you reintegrate.

Back to my examples at the top, having a deeper connection to my purpose will absolutely inform the type of work, projects, and clients I’m focused on working with. Knowing I want to have more space for this work will inform how I structure the work and my calendar, feeding into contracts, and boundaries for that work.

Consideration of my personal well-being will inform how I carve out things like my exercise and my spiritual practice.

These are not often mentioned in the business strategy books or around the watercooler, but we’re not worker drones; I believe this has to be part of our commitment to ourselves which will help us fulfill our purpose, mission and generally be more pleasant to be around :).

These are the intentions that strategy is born from.

So, I encourage you to step back, get quiet, reflect and consider:

What has shifted for you during the last six to twelve months?

And, how would you like to move forward given this shift?

NOW is YOUR time,

Ariana