Spring is a time of renewal, of looking ahead. If you are a gardener, you may enjoy watching the small green things poking up in the soil, knowing that they will grow, blossom, and fruit into something magnificent and useful. It’s a time of anticipating what can be.

However, we often dwell in the past. And more often than not, the past we dwell can be the less-than-pleasant experiences we’ve had. Knowing that, as a leader, you have a desire to move forward, the past is not the place to start. It’s too draining to keep rehashing the bad stuff.

We Need Optimism and a Future to Look Toward

Now, more than ever, your team, organization and peers need you to be positive and forward-looking. The best way to begin looking ahead is to begin with yourself.

So, start fresh – with today. Consider where you are at in your leadership journey at this moment with the following questions:

Consider Now

- What are you doing well in your leadership?

- What can you improve in your leadership?

Consider Your Future:

- If things were as great as you’d like them to be, what would they look and feel like?

- What is your role in creating this great future? What are others saying about you in the future?

- What immediate action can you take to move toward this great future?

Do you feel a positive shift in energy when you start “living toward the future” and stop “dwelling in the past”?