As we enter 2025, I know many of us think about what we want to accomplish in the coming year. Some folks may focus on making resolutions, others begin projects in their home, and some people are hitting the gym! I have a couple of closets that have been getting some overdue attention already in what I’m calling the “Year of Decluttering!”
At Cypress we also take some time to reflect as a team. For us, that means coming together for a half-day retreat where we decide what we want to work on together. That may include things like increasing our client numbers, or revising our website. We co-create a list of activities where we will put our energy in service of our mission and strategic plans. It’s the what of what we want to accomplish.
But we also spend time talking about how we want to accomplish those things. And in some ways, the how matters to us even more than the list of goals. During this time our team will talk about how we want to work together and show up for others. We talk about values we bring to this work like compassion or accountability. And we talk about challenges we have as a team both as individuals and as a group spread out across the country.
To give you a sense of what I mean, last year’s list included things like staying grounded in gratitude, supporting each other in asking for help when we needed it, remembering to have fun while we work. We even had one we called the “Sorry Jar” which was a reminder that not everything requires an apology because mistakes sometimes just happen. It was a reminder to balance taking responsibility with over-apologizing – something we struggle with on our team!
I have found this time moving and important. Talking about how we want to work means we have to get honest. We have to take a look at what we are doing that is working and where we have challenges. And because we are collectively creating the list … we are all held accountable to it. It sets the tone for our team’s culture, and ensures that everyone is represented.
As we enter 2025, I know there is a lot of uncertainty. When things feel unpredictable it can feel a little overwhelming to set goals. Maybe instead of spending so much energy doing that – we could worry less about what we want to do and instead set our intentions about how we want to be. Do we want to show more patience, humor, or compassion? What if I worried a little less about my closets and thought more about remembering grace? I wonder what it would feel like to think more about the how and less about the what.
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