I’m not a great one for stopping and smelling the roses. Usually I have an over-full plate, or several of them, all spinning…with no time to take stock.
Right now I’m recovering from a second bout of COVID-19, and approaching the first anniversary of my mum’s death from the same disease. The country is in the midst of its fourth wave of coronavirus, the health service is struggling, and energy prices are set to soar again. Roses can feel like a luxury, right?
A different approach to ‘new year’s resolutions’
Of course, this time of year lends itself to planning for the future. Setting goals, targets, even hopes and dreams. If you have seen new year’s resolutions hastily set and easily forgotten, you may like to take a different approach this year. One which stretches out the experience of the process, engages your emotions as well as your thoughts, and dwells on the positive.
In short, an approach which involves something I’m not great at – ‘savouring’.
Savouring
I recently spent a day of learning hosted by our guru Colin Brett for coaches who are alumni of Coaching Development. Colin reminded us of Bryant & Verhof’s ‘Savouring’ model, in which the positive experience of engaging with the past, present and future is extended and enhanced through attentional focus. Through experimentation, these positive psychologists developed three lenses:
- Savouring through anticipation
- Savouring through reminiscing
- Savouring the moment.
They proposed “building the capacity to attend to the joys, pleasures, and other positive feelings” that we experience in our lives. Attentional practices like luxuriating, marvelling, basking and giving thanks all feature.
And far from a privilege available to the few, savouring offers benefits for all of us. These include significantly higher life satisfaction, daily happiness, stronger relationships, improved mental and physical health, and finding more creative solutions to problems.
My three steps to savouring 21-22
So I took some time to consider the past, present and future. Here are my thoughts – I’d love to hear yours. I’ve focused here on my professional life, but encourage you to extend your practice as widely as possible.
- Savouring through anticipation. I anticipate the joy of working with business partners this year. Developing ourselves as people, and opening doors to new opportunities by sharing our energies and our networks. I anticipate the pride and pleasure of enabling more people to connect with nature, develop their potential for leadership, and learn about the science and practice of nature coaching. Feeling the stretch of new challenges, and the pride of new achievements. The pleasure in slowing down and living more in the present.
- Savouring through reminiscing. I am proud to have become a published author. To have had great feedback about the book ‘Being in Nature’ I co-authored with Lee Evans. To have road tested a new ‘Maturity Model’ for organisational nature connection, and started developing work to benefit patients and staff at the National Health Service. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak at TEDx Aston with Diana Tedoldi (the memory gets me tingling!); and at ICF Converge 21 (again with Diana). To be recognised with an award for my article with Diana in Coaching at Work Magazine. To have launched my own online nature coach training. To give thanks to Lee, Diana and all my collaborators and supporters this year.
- Savouring the moment. I find myself enjoying writing this. In connecting – albeit virtually – with people who share common interests. In having my family around this Christmas despite our bouts of COVID-19. And finally, that my course of antibiotics has finished just in time for a drink this New Year’s Eve!