Do you remember getting a draft back from a teacher and it was covered in red and had REVISE in big letters?

In a former leadership role, I wrote and edited thousands of words for an application to the US Department of Education. Multiple essays on specific topics with precise word counts to showcase our school to earn a coveted spot as Blue Ribbon School—an honor given to only 50 private schools in the country. The pressure was intense.

On my team, I had to help incredible professionals distill their brilliance and the beauty of a community into 1500-, 500-, or even 100-word answers. We crossed out some lovely words and stories (as well as a few that were honestly just bad!). And then we made the tiny changes: remove one word. Add a comma here. Change the spacing.

Have you been in a space like this: where you have to help yourself and others say good or bad, this isn’t for us for right now? A client, a process, a business, a vacation, an app, a relationship, a routine?

There is just so much hype around the New Year. We have to plan the entire year RIGHT NOW. New Year, New Me!

It just isn’t true, and it sets individuals and teams up for failure.

What is always true — the opportunity to revise. The chance to edit. To make small changes and see what the new draft looks like. To say this isn’t working; I’d like to make an adjustment.

As we welcome this new year, I’m inviting you to lay down the pressure to start over. And instead, let’s revise. Take what you have and distill your brilliance some more. For yourself and your team.

Here are steps for a quick revision:

1. What’s one area that feels bad? The one that drains you and zaps your energy.
2. What are three options for change that could make that 1% better?
3. Chose one to try for 30 days.

You can ask yourself these questions. You can pose them to your team. Revision isn’t about the grand sweeping new idea. It’s a little reshuffling that makes it just a bit better.

Right now, we need the small wins. We are collectively exhausted. Recreation and resolutions are too much right now. Revise and go for the small wins that collect into flourishing.

So I’m asking you, what’s the one area that feels off right now? Reply and let me know. I’ll help you brainstorm some options.

The winter cohort of the Catalyst Leadership Lab is coming soon! If you missed it before, now is your chance! 

CLL is group coaching for leaders who are ready to get unstuck, ditch the imposter syndrome, and lead in all of who they are.

Spots will be limited, so join the waitlist now so you are the first in. (And get all the bonuses!)

Join the waitlist here! https://jennwhitmer.com/catalyst