I’ve been writing in my diary for years.
I get a lot out of it. But I have a little secret that makes keeping a diary 10 times more interesting. I reread what I’ve written regularly. (I explain how in this article).
So, to prepare for 2024, I did the exercise again.
I’ve drawn 7 learnings from it (which could also help you speed up your important projects).
Here we go…
Key No. 1: From fear to action
Once again, I find that my diary helps me to deal with my fears and doubts more effectively.
And by doing so, I get rid of or minimize them. This active reflection helps me to speed up my important projects.
Some fears that came back several times in 2023…
“What if I lost the inspiration to write?”
My customers come in two ways. Writing and recommendations.
So writing is crucial. I love doing it. But like any activity that brings satisfaction, we’re happy afterward, but it’s hard to start.
Another in the same spirit…
“What if I can’t do it with coaching?
Being a coach means being an entrepreneur. Aside from the technical side, you need to find new customers regularly.
2023, my first year, went very well. But that doesn’t stop me from having moments of doubt.
In another register.
“And if I were incubating this disease”
I’ve lost important people around me. It reminds me of our fragility.
So sometimes, my brain starts making strange associations.
It creates health alerts for me…
How can I use my diary to minimize fears and speed up important projects?
When I observe fears that come back again and again.
I do the following exercise:
- What am I afraid of? Write it.
- What would be the worst-case scenario? Describe it.
- If this scenario came true, what would my options be? Note the options.
It helps me move from paralysis to action. And it’s the latter that keeps me going…
What are you afraid of? How can you use this approach to help speed up your important projects?
Key No. 2: Self-sabotage
In his book “The Big Leap,” Gay Hendricks discusses “The Upper Limit Problem,” our ability to limit ourselves.
In 2023, I was able to observe this in my diary. And it was linked to my fear of “what if I can’t do it with coaching.”
When everything’s going well, when everything’s accelerating faster than I thought. I find myself (again) imagining bad scenarios. My self-sabotage.
“The pattern was simple: enjoy a period of feeling really good; then do something to mess it up. I also realized that the same pattern had a grip on the world at large.” -GayHendricks
Here again, the journal allows me to be more objective.
As a result, I’m better able to ride the positive wave.
What are you sabotaging yourself with?
Key No. 3: It’s easier (sometimes) than you think
To accelerate the development of my business. I do two essential things.
- Writing.
- Connect with two interesting people a day.
In fact, my diary helped me achieve this level of clarity.
One of the questions I’ve used is:
“If it were easy to create a profitable coaching practice in 2023, what would I do?
Point 2 is sometimes intimidating.
- What will the person think?
- What if she ignores me? Or if she says no? Or….
My little voice takes care of the rest. Find lots of excuses not to.
But she (my little voice) forgets that I observe her in my diary 😀
So, the more she tries to dissuade me, the more I go for it.
It’s a self-imposed rule.
“When it scares me, do it.”
And in some cases, a simple email can take me a long way.
Who can you contact to speed up your important project?
4/The magic of questions
You’ve already noticed that they were present in the first 3 keys.
But in 2023, I worked on them even more in my diary.
I have a file where I capture interesting questions through my reading.
- What gave me energy last quarter?
- What do I really want?
- What were my 3 wins of the day?
- What do I want to focus on next year?
The last question helped me have an “aha” moment.
Learning is one of my greatest sources of pleasure. So 2024 will be optimized around coaching and improving my German.
Coaching: After being certified in 2023 by Marshall Goldsmith and his teams for my corporate approach. In 2024, I will concentrate on obtaining the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) diploma from the International Coaching Federation (ICF). 2023 enabled me to bring together the practical side with 500 hours of coaching delivered. This allows me to attempt the PCC exam in 2024.
German: I’ve been living in the German-speaking part of Switzerland for 10 years. I hardly need German in my daily life. So I let myself go into my comfort zone.
But not in 2024!
My goal is to go from B1 to C1. Many of you have asked me how I plan to do it. I’ll talk about it in future newsletters…😀
What will you be focusing on in 2024?
- Avoiding mistakes: How asking a simple question can improve your decision-making
- A simple question to help you regain a healthy emotional state and easily manage your day-to-day problems.
- How to move from stagnation to creation? Try these 2 simple questions.
5/How my diary helps me say “No”
Learning to say “No” is a quality for focusing on essential projects.
With the blog taking off and the coaching business starting to grow, I had several interesting offers in 2023…
And here again, the journal was a good ally in helping me decide.
Every time I say “Yes,” I stray from the two simple things that have brought me success so far.
- Writing.
- Connecting with two people a day…
So, on reflection and with the help of my diary, I often said no in 2023. And I aim to keep going 🙂
6/ To get rich, create your niche. How my diary helped me find my positioning
Coaching is a vast world. Finding your way is not an easy task.
I must have read about thirty books on coaching in 2023. I thought and wrote about it in my diary.
The more I extend this reflection, the more I understand what I like to do.
My position is naturally becoming clearer…
“I help my customers accelerate their important projects.”
They’re delighted, and I find much meaning and pleasure in doing it.
What do you really want?
7/ 2024 becomes easier to plan thanks to my 2023 diary…
Rereading my diary, I realize how much I tried in 2023.
2024 naturally becomes clearer.
- What should I stop?
- What can I continue?
- What should I start?
How would you answer these 3 questions to prepare for your 2024 year?
6 lessons from my 2022 diary (that might help you)
Conclusion
It’s another year in which I’ve realized how much the habit of writing in my diary has given me clarity.
And clarity is certainly the first pillar in accelerating our major projects.
If you’d like to start writing in your diary, these resources may help.
- 10 reasons why I’ve been writing in my diary every day for 7 years. (which might inspire you)
- The secret to writing in your diary every day.
- Want to start keeping a diary but don’t know where to begin? 11 ideas that could help you. (from my last 7 years of daily writing)
- The power of the diary: how to overcome problems and make your dreams come true?
If you liked this article, you’ll love my newsletter in English and French. Join a community of ambitious readers who want to succeed in their careers while enjoying their lives. Sign up here and receive it every Wednesday morning directly in your mailbox.
**
PS: Whenever you’re ready, here are 2 more ways I can help you accelerate your growth through coaching:
- You’re ambitious: you’ve already achieved a lot. And you intend to continue. But this time, you want to do it while enjoying the important things in your life. Curious? Click here.
- You lead a team: you know that a slight improvement in your leadership can significantly impact the team’s results and, therefore, your career. I was trained and certified by the world’s first executive coach, Marshall Goldsmith. I accompany you in your project and guarantee the result. You only pay me if you succeed. Curious? Let’s connect for a free call and see if we can work together
Leave a Reply