BLOG

This year a punchier approach to New Years’ Resolutions has taken socials by storm: In/Out lists. At first glance they seem a little lazy (“In: Thoughtful responses/ Out: answering emails right away”). But truthfully, it can be hard to take in something new, without making space for it. In/out lists give us the chance to clean up and re-order priorities in a way that will make it easier to follow through on what we want to accomplish.

 

Creating balance, a yin and yang if you will, in an In/Out list requires thought and deliberation. For example, it’s futile to plan to invest more in your personal relationships without considering the distractions that are taking your focus from them in the first place. (“In: connecting more deeply with friends/ Out: Instagram scrolling after 6pm.”)

 

Let’s drill into this scenario. For many of us, putting our phones out of reach can be pretty uncomfortable (What if my kids have an emergency? What if my manager calls?) so setting that intention takes habit training and brain rewiring. It’s a contemplative task that requires reflections such as: what is the difference in my concentration level when the phone is out of sight? How does it change the quality of my conversations? And, when you pick the phone back up, address: Did you miss anything critical? Do you feel safe enough to try it again? Chances are, everything was fine without the phone in your hand; maybe even better than fine.

 

To make it a habit? Try putting the phone aside for 15 minutes at first and then push yourself for longer increments later. Map out what time each day you’ll take on this practice.  Add an incentive if that helps. Just remember that the reason you chose this In/Out is that it was a chance to focus more deeply on your personal relationships so make sure those 15 phoneless minutes are spent talking to or doing something for a person you care about.

 

Shoring up our career goals with Ins and Outs  

We can take this measured, principled approach to our professional endeavors too.

In spite of their brevity, Ins/Outs get at the core of your fundamental belief system, the opposite of milestones and deadlines. These lists are mostly successful when they lean into your sense of purpose.

 

Forbes recently published an article on attaching career goals to traditional resolutions. They offered an alternative to the well-known SMART goal strategy (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) called HARD goals (Heartfelt, Animated, Required, Difficult). HARD goals, Forbes said, should be “…emotionally resonant, vividly imagined, absolutely essential and challenging enough to inspire effort and innovation.” This kind of core work lends itself well to the In/Out model, which is more like a stretch assignment than a performance evaluation template. The intersection between things that matter to you personally with what you hope to achieve in your career is not always simple or obvious. You’re blending aspects of your life that might, at times seem incongruent.

 

Here’s a sample:

In                                                                                                                           

Growing your network, pursuing new perspectives: Meeting people from different parts of the organization and absorbing their visions can be an expansive experience. Staying flexible and open to new ideas will show your optimism and willingness to work with others.       

Out: Tapping into the same resources because it’s easy and safe.

In: Taking initiative by assessing annual objectives quarterly to make sure you’re making progress. This allows you to capture the good things you’re doing all year which will assure you of your abilities and contributions to the organization. Having that kind of confidence will, in turn, demonstrate for others your positivity and leadership capacity.

Out: Waiting until the end of the year, scrambling to remember what you’ve done.

Keeping the Outs OUT

Once you’ve made your In/Out list, planning a strategy for keeping the Outs OUT is important as establishing a routine with the INs. Take stock in the things that trigger whatever you’ve decided to send OUT- like maybe you do it when you’re feeling anxious or insecure or maybe your behavior starts automatically when you take a specific route in the office. When you catch yourself about to slip into your old pattern, take a pause and try not to do it for 20 minutes. If you can wait that long, usually the urge will pass. Start off the new year strong by organizing an In/Out list as a way to genuinely connect with your goals and align them with what matters most to you in each area of your life.  By identifying what you want to "invite in" and you what you want to "phase out," you can prioritize your goals and remove distractions, making it easier to stay focused on what truly matters.