The clock had just hit 8.10pm, our 4 and 2 year old children were in bed and my wife Colette was also in bed feeding our 7 week old. The washing up was done, the place was moderately tidy so I poured myself a cup of decaf tea, and turned on Netflix to find a film to watch. Goodwill Hunting popped up – an oldie but a goodie that I hadn’t seen in years….this felt like Heaven 😉 An hour in and I was enthralled. However I also knew that if I wanted to get up for 5.15am, then I should probably hit the cot. With 3 young children and a practice to run, the early hours of the morning are best for “me” time and some exercise, when nobody else is up. I absolutely wanted to stay on the couch watching the film but what came to mind was 1 of my principles for this year – live with uncommon discipline! What I call “an honesty moment” had arrived – the couch or the cot? Nothing life altering in isolation but repeated over time, I know these small choices have big impacts…
January is a time for many where new goals and ambitions are created for the year. For the past 5 years, I have set goals for myself but I have focused more on how I want to live, work and experience day to day life rather than just the goal in isolation. I know from experience that some goals are achieved at a cost that can be worth it and is fully acceptable. I have also achieved other goals where quite frankly “the juice was not worth the squeeze”. This is why in more recent years, I have challenged myself to ensure that any goal I set is aligned with my values around how I want to live, work and play in life. I’ve had great some successes with achieving goals and I have absolutely fallen short on others. However I now firmly believe there is a better way.
In the spirit of continuous evolution, I believe that moving beyond values can be more impactful and 2024 is a year I am going to immerse myself in this approach. Inspired by some of the wisdom from Stoics like Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Seneca, my focus this year will be on principles. So instead of living in line with my values, the subtle evolution will be to embody a set of principles instead. The energy of a principle is different to a value. A principle is something we take a stand for, something that anchors closely with a deeply held belief. As I embark on this subtle shift, the set of principles that resonate with me are a subtle evolution in a very practical way, of bringing my values to life even more this year. My focus will be more on living and doing my best to embody these principles, rather than orientating my behaviour around a set of values. Case in point – my decision to be made on the couch.
What prompted me to turn the TV off and go to bed in the moment, was the fact that my principle of “living with uncommon discipline” came to mind. I am more consciously aware of these principles and have a simple method for doing my best to live by these each day. This principle is one of a few, to help me bring my values to life in a more embodied way. It doesn’t mean I will always make a principled choice. I’ve no doubt there will be many times this year and beyond when I might “stay on the couch”. Just like everyone else, I’m a human being with flaws and challenges and I’m doing my best to figure out life as it comes. I have a strong instinct that this year, being more consciously connected to a genuine set of life principles will not only bring a greater sense of freedom and ease but will also enable more impact and adventure in the year ahead. Who knows, this might be something that could be effective for you too in your life as a whole, in how you lead your team or in the context of your wider business…
