Four Daily Practices To Prepare For The Unknown
By: Jon Dwoskin
It’s okay if you’ve started losing a grip on your shiny New Years’ Resolutions. Instead of starting the year with something new, try grounding your day in a practice that is more likely to set you up for future business wins.
During the pandemic, the ability to pivot and adapt were well rewarded, but we need to build on those skills. To increase your success, try adding these four aspects to your day: broaden your knowledge, investigate technology, improve communication skills and self-reflect. Commitment is key to this undertaking.
Let’s face it — we can control only a few things in our lives. One is how we feel; another is how we spend our time. Block out time on your calendar to ensure you engage with these subjects and, over time, you’ll feel stronger and more resilient.
Study something of interest.
The world is speeding in so many directions that you risk falling behind if you’re not learning something new every day. Pick a topic and dive in. Read articles or books on topics such as electric cars, urban myths, plays by Shakespeare, alternative fuels, marketing or how to negotiate. Consider working with a business coach or mentor.
Many experienced, brilliant people offer information and advice on social networks. Pick a couple of voices you respect and listen to them regularly. Ongoing seminars are available on platforms such as YouTube, Udemy, Masterclass, Headway and Blinkist.
The future is unknown, but deepening your knowledge is great preparation for it. As a student, block out time on your calendar for the daily consumption of information. Consistency is key to enriching your knowledge.
Investigate emerging technology.
It’s hard to imagine, but 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t been invented yet according to the 2017 report by the Institute for the Future. We’ve seen how emerging technologies have spawned new jobs. Before cell phones, app developers didn’t exist. Bitcoin only recently flashed into consciousness, and now it’s for sale at gas stations.
Technological advances made working remotely possible, as well as hiring virtual employees from around the world. Since quality contract workers can be employed as needed, this period is the easiest time to start a new business.
In the future, technology will expand industries in ways we can’t foresee, and it’s up to us as entrepreneurs to scale up our understanding of technology. As Dell Technologies stated in a HuffPost article, “The pace of change will be so rapid that people will learn ‘in the moment’ using new technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality. The ability to gain new knowledge will be more valuable than the knowledge itself.”
Start now. Investigate how AI and virtual reality operate. Buy a virtual reality headset and see how it opens your vision. Continue from there, because the possibilities are endless.
Connect with those around you.
Gaining ground in technology is vital, but so is ratcheting up your emotional and social intelligence. Developing these interpersonal skills will help position us for the next decade. Learning how to communicate with nuance will certainly differentiate us from computers, which can’t (so far) intuit or think like humans or experience emotions.
With practice, we can develop our EQ and SQ. For those who grew up only texting and using group chats, it’s time to pick up the phone and call a colleague or client. And during those calls, apply active listening. Active listening is the ability to focus on the speaker, absorb and process what they’re saying, and respond thoughtfully. Active listening is composed of the following elements:
• Devote your full attention to the speaker.
• Try not to dwell on the points you want to make.
• Avoid interrupting your speaking partner.
• Absorb the verbal and nonverbal cues the speaker is sharing.
• Maintain eye contact to show you’re fully engaged.
• Pose questions to help clarify a point and show you’re listening.
Integrating these six basic aspects of active listening can not only enhance your conversations but can also enrich your relationships. Get comfortable with active listening in a low-stakes environment before using it with clients. When you do, you’ll feel confident that you’re hearing all your client is communicating.
Reflect on yourself.
Self-reflection is a powerful tool that can lead your business into hyperdrive. Reflection is defined as careful thought. The deeper definition involves considering and analyzing ones’ beliefs and actions for the purpose of learning.
Reflection gives the mind an opportunity to pause amid the chaos and, unlike meditation, to sort through observations and experiences to make meaning. Reflection offers an environment to make meaning out of the flood of daily experiences. This meaning-making or learning can then inform future thinking and actions, which is vital to the ongoing growth and development of business leaders. As Peter Drucker is often attributed saying: “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection, will come even more effective action.”
Start small. Set aside 15 minutes a day to reflect on your current projects and future goals. Pose questions such as: “What did I do well?” (in a meeting, talking with my colleague, setting goals) and “What can I do better?” Write out your thoughts as honestly as possible. If you find the process challenging, invite a colleague, coach or mentor to participate and help keep you accountable.
Business leaders are focused on generating a positive ROI and spending time reflecting might not suggest an obvious payoff. Trust Peter Drucker that this nugget of time can lead to valuable insights and breakthroughs that promote productivity and success.
We choose how to use our time. Use a portion to commit to a daily practice based on study, emerging technologies, enhancing your communication skills and self-reflection. The practice can leave you feeling more in charge of your day while ready to welcome tomorrow’s unknowns.
THINK BIG!
Jon Dwoskin
