I've been following Sarah Hart Unger's concept of dividing the year into five sections rather than just quarters, with this final period being the 'reflection season', which formed the theme of this week’s episode of The Executive Coach Podcast. I love this idea of dedicating a whole period to a more reflective mindset. Yes, it's a busy time of year with plenty on the to-do list, but having reflection as an overarching theme feels particularly right.
For my high-achieving readers who like to keep moving forward and ticking off goals - here's an invitation to pause. Take the opportunity to look back through your photos, diary, journal, or calendar. Celebrate what you've already achieved and appreciate the different experiences you've had this year.
For instance, I've just dusted off my 'one second a day' app, where you can upload a daily picture or short clip that gets amalgamated into a video of your year. It's always surprising to watch something like that and realise just how much you've actually done in a year.
I've just returned from a family safari trip to Kenya - eight intense days of driving through stunning landscapes with my parents, who grew up there. Something unexpected happened during this trip: I found myself without mobile data. The only access I had was periodic WiFi in the lodges, sometimes not even in the rooms.
A few days in, I noticed something remarkable. Despite being full of cold and dealing with busy days and early starts, I felt incredibly peaceful. I was properly in the moment, unable to check my phone at the rate I'd grown accustomed to in the UK.
This resonated strongly with something I'd heard recently on Cal Newport's 'Deep Questions' podcast about phone usage. While I'd already eliminated social media and made my phone less attractive as suggested, I'd been struggling to disentangle myself from WhatsApp - caught between important family and work communications and the endless web of other interactions that seemed to drain my clarity of thought.
Eight days of enforced distance managed to 'de-addict' me and showed me how good it felt to be disconnected. It reminded me of teaching in Nepal during my gap year, when we'd only check emails at an internet café. Life was simpler then, but fundamentally good.
Cal Newport makes a powerful point about how we construct our reality based on what we pay attention to. If we're constantly plugged into sources of information designed to provoke reactions, that affects the world we perceive. By being more intentional about our reality - about what we let into our sphere of vision - we can construct a different, often better reality for ourselves.
Returning to the UK, the bleak white-grey November sky always reminds me of a particular moment a decade ago. I was walking in Regent's Park near London Business School, about to face rejection from a coaching role I desperately wanted. At the time, on my first maternity leave, it felt crucial to secure this position before having a second child.
What I couldn't see then was that I would end up getting a much better role at the business school - one with a bigger salary and more decision-making power, which ultimately paved the way for me to go independent. If I could go back to that Maya of ten years ago, I'd tell her: "You're doing all the right things. You know which direction you want to go in. Don't worry about specific outcomes - there might be a better plan unfolding than the one you think is right for you."
This connects beautifully with recent feedback I received from a Vision Builder client. A year after completing the programme, she wrote to tell me she's experiencing high levels of satisfaction without the previous rushing need to achieve and compare herself to peers. She's found peace in moving more slowly and purposefully on her true path.
It reminds me of the elephants we saw on safari - they appear to move slowly, but they're actually just walking purposefully. They don't need to rush because they know where they're going.
Whether it's on a dusty, bumpy road in Africa or staring up at a grey London sky, when we experience true peace, it's incredibly comforting. It can make us feel properly alive, removing the need to rush and hurry despite everything going on around us.
This sense of peace can come from having a clear vision, from using your phone more intentionally, or from dedicating time to proper reflection. As we move through November, I invite you to explore what brings you that sense of peace and purpose.
If you'd like to explore more about the Vision Builder programme or connect further, you can find me on LinkedIn.
To catch up on the full episode, you can listen to the podcast at:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-executive-coach-c-suite-career-planning-goals/id1463542602 (Apple Podcasts)
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