You've Got Two Choices
As someone who by tends to be somewhat freewheeling and intuitive, I recognise that I am also sub-optimally organised. My long-time assistant used to metaphorically tape things to my head to make sure I remembered to take them with me. We never thought her triple check was overkill.
As a consequence, I’ve always valued planning and planning tools. Because it doesn’t come naturally to me, I look for things that will help me overcome my natural weakness. I have been a devotee of personal planners since I started working, and I have at least 6 apps on my phone plus a raft of analogue planning systems, not to mention having introduced the company to Asana, which is a great business execution tool.
So, I’m delighted to see analogue planners making a comeback in book and gift shops. There are some really beautifully designed and produced journals and planners (I love the ones at FRANK stationery, a local artisan). It’s the perfect time of year as people think about what they want to achieve in 2021 and what they want to resolve to do.
They’re useful tools, and they’re all in pursuit of a leadership fundamental: doing what we say we’ll do and honouring our commitments.
Planners help us get clear about the what and the when, and the best systems provide reminders because we all just tend to forget. I noticed that our effectiveness went up 25% when we introduced Asana because tasks didn’t get forgotten.
But planning tools are not the big solution. The real challenge with honouring commitments is not forgetting. It’s when it becomes difficult or inconvenient. When you have to make some personal sacrifice or discomfort in order to keep your promise.
I remember a great lesson from Landmark Forum years ago. They talked about the two choices involved in honouring commitment: do it or don’t. That’s all. In the “Don’t” column were all the reasons, the calculations, the issues, objections and obfuscations. And in the Do column was just one word: integrity, which means wholeness. A circle is only a circle if the line is intact, unbroken.
By all means let’s make plans for a glorious 2021. There is enormous potential and opportunity following the disruption of COVID, so let’s plan out all the things we’re going to do to make the most of it.
Let’s resolve to do just one thing: in 2021 I’m going to make sure I honour my commitments. When it gets hard, I will find a way to make it work. That’s all: make it work.