Author’s Note: “Time is relative. Its only worth is what we do as it is passing. “ – Albert Einstein

Something about the end of summer makes me – and maybe you, too – conscious of the passage of time. The visible passages, like leaves turning colors and kids leaving for college towns, seem to trigger something deep inside me. I often think of all the stuff left undone, but rarely do I revisit the highlights of my passing life.  

I wonder if there is more I should be doing – a way to improve my life, my relationships, and my skills, without becoming overwhelmed with the effort and without investing all my time. If that’s you too, please read on.  

Something to Read

Try feedforward instead of feedback.

So, this article made me rethink the process of self-improvement; think about asking for feedback on a future oriented change you want to see in your life, not a rear-view mirror review of your past performance. Not many of us like performance reviews that are solely focused on mistakes we made in the past; most of us like to set a goal, and work toward it. Getting feedback  and coaching on that process moving forward is a great way to jumpstart the changes you want to accomplish. Coaching can also be an essential element of your process of improvement, since the coach acts as guide to the next step in your journey.

Something to Hear

Can you ‘hack’ your brain to improve your skills?

This mini-TED talk suggests that how we use language wires our brains for what we might consider difficult skills and tasks. I am struck by the tribe that always uses geological direction to identify position, not ‘right and left.’ This means that they are always aware of their orientation in the world, and that of others – a task that seems daunting to those of us who use relative positioning language. Yet, it is possible. And if it is possible for them, it is possible for us. At Point Taken, we have internalized the use of non-verbal communication in both assessing others, and in selecting our own behaviors, to the point where it is mostly happening at a subconscious level. Practice makes something more automatic, so pick a behavior you want to change and do it repeatedly until it hits your subconscious.  

I was recently a target of a potential scam, and I knew it the instant I heard the other party start to say’um’ a lot. Until that point, I was unaware of the danger, but as soon as the person started lying, they started using a large number of ‘ums. My radar was up instantly, and the lightbulb went off. My brain knew what it was looking for even before I was conscious of it.

Something to Do

Pick a goal and find a mentor or support group to help.

Research shows that coaching clients are significantly more likely to achieve their goals compared to those who do not utilize coaching. (2021 & 2016. The Effectiveness of Coaching. PLoS ONE. Journal of Work-Applied Management) 

If you are going to be at the HBA Leadership Conference in Las Vegas at the end of September, look for the coaches who have been tapped to provide free coaching sessions to the attendees. This could be the start of your journey!

Something to See

During COVID, we participated in a photo project that captured neighbors during lock-down, as a record of the experience. I look back on this photo and feel like it was simultaneously yesterday, and a lifetime ago. Our perception of time is funny – it’s more static than actual time, so it seems to be defined by moments. Capture a few moments yourself and keep them close as a record of everything you have done and everywhere you have been. Also, when implementing a change, make note of where you started so you can look back and see how far you have come.