In previous posts, I talked about New Year’s resolutions, having a vision, and setting goals. Something that is often overlooked when we talk about resolutions, vision and goals is how the language and the words we use can either support our efforts, or undermine them.
I know in my own life, I’m able to do more and become more when I make positive, definitive declarations about what I’m doing. That helps me continue to move in the right direction, and really set my sights on what my life looks like today, in one year, in ten years. As author Craig Groeschel said, “Your life is always moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts.” That’s certainly been true with me. So, if my life is moving in the direction of my strongest thoughts, I would certainly want to make my thoughts purposeful. At least for me, making declarations is a way to do that. When my life moves in the direction of my thoughts, it’s going where I want to go, and I’m able to become what I want to become, and do what I want to do.
This approach also works in business. As a company, you can make clear declarations about what you’re doing and what you want to achieve. This doesn’t replace a business plan – it supports it and actually makes it more achievable because you have clarity. Then your company is also moving in the direction of what you think about most often.
At NueHealth, we came up with four declarations to move us in the right direction: (1) We care, (2) We learn, (3) We have fun, (4) We get results. I put that beneath the company logo in my email signature, and we include it on printed materials and branded items like t-shirts, because it really makes a statement about where we’re going as an organization. It’s both an internal reminder and an external communication. Simply put, declarations open a space of possibility and have tremendous power to shape our lives if followed by consistent behavior.
