What Are You Going To Do With This New Year?

HOT READS FOR THE PRACTITIONER

Title: What You Are Really Meant to Do

Competency: self-development, managing self, achievement orientation, career and skill development

Who benefits: motivated people

Consultant Usage: self-development

What’s it about? Today is Day 1 of the New Year (in the Western world). You might be like me lying around all day in your sweats. I am tuned in to football games. You might be too. Or you might be allowing some other relaxing hobby to devour your day. Nice way to go!

Or maybe you are using this (likely) day off for some serious reflection. Maybe you are thinking about your career. Maybe you are thinking about your family – the one you have or the one you want. Maybe you are thinking about your personal or professional development. Maybe you are digging deep and thinking about the age old question “Who Am I?” If you are thinking about any of these things, wow do I have a recommendation for you.

Robert Steven Kaplan is a Dean and a Professor at Harvard; co-chairman of a global venture philanthropy firm; and former vice chairman of the Goldman Sachs Group. In layman’s terms, he is vastly familiar with the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. He wants to do something to eradicate the Bad and the Ugly. And it doesn’t hurt that he is a deep thinker who can provide practical advice. If you are looking for some (practical advice), this book is for you.

This just published book being What You’re Really Meant to Do: A Road Map for Reaching Your Unique Potential. The book is not about how to get rich. The book is not about copying or mimicking others. It is a book about self-discovery. About really (really) understanding who you are and what you are capable of.

This book is a systematic approach to thinking and learning that will enhance (but not guarantee) your chances for fully developing your own potential. There are no false promises, no gimmicks, no shortcuts. As Dr. Kaplan suggests, it is about “strengthening your existing self-development muscles and build new ones.”

The book is sliced into three core areas. The first four chapters fall under the umbrella of “Know Thy Self”. Can’t feel good about anything you accomplish if there is no match with who you are on the inside. Chapter 5 is entitled “Make the most of your opportunities”. This moves you from introspection to matching yourself with the opportunities in the outside world. Chapters 5 – 8 are about “The Extra Mile”. It is all about asking yourself if good is good enough, or do you want to be great.

The road to personal success is not paved with gold. In fact, there are a lot of potholes in that winding old path. I can’t recommend this book enough if you are highly motivated and are seeking self-improvement. It will allow you to define success in your own words.

If you are one of these folks who sets a New Year’s Resolution on January 3 or 4 and abandons it by February 8, this book is not for you. Either you consciously want to work toward a better life for yourself or you don’t. If you do, this is a great manual to get yourself started on self-improvement passage.

If you want more, I recommend Kaplan’s 2011 book aimed primarily at leadership: What to Ask the Person in the Mirror: Critical Questions for Becoming a More Effective Leader and Reaching Your Potential or a book I recently gave my daughter, How Will You Measure Your Life? which is equal parts professional development and personal development written by Kaplan’s Harvard colleague, Professor Clayton Christensen. All three books in this Post are 5-Star quality.

Happy development. Happy New Year.

Usually I close with “Catch you later”. That will no longer be a true statement. Friday I will be posting my final article for this Blog. I will be having new duties with Envisia Learning. I would like to think that I am mimicking what I am recommending above. Even at the ripe old age of – cough, cough – I am not too old to learn, haven’t fully developed my potential. I am on a journey of self-discovery. I hope to make the most of my new opportunities. I am going to practice what I preach.

Meanwhile, thank you all for taking the time to read my postings (well, at least this one).

Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley (mostly) retired after 35 years in organizational consulting, training and management development. During those years he worked internally with seven organizations and trained and consulted externally with more than 90 large and small businesses, government agencies, hospitals and schools.