So, we’re a month into the shiny new year that is 2022 – the year we settle into our skin, make bold moves, and begin to switch gears – and it all feels so surreal. Typically as the new year rolls in, we pin up our crisp, clean calendars on the wall (or swipe to the January 2022 month view on mobile), and begin to think and reflect.
You might think about what it is you’d like to achieve over the next 12 months; how you want to spend your down time at the end of each of the 52 weeks; and perhaps even set a daily intention or mantra for yourself for each morning, so by the end of the 365 days of the year, you feel a sense of accomplishment – a groundedness that comes with an alignment to a more meaningful purpose.
If you’ve met or worked with us, you’ll know that we’re all for setting goals and intentions (in fact, it’s a vital step in our DAPPER process for every client we work with). As we begin to settle into the new year, we’re taking our desired lifestyle seriously. We’re trying to slow down and enjoy the work we do, based on solid values, flexible workflows, and an appreciation for craft and deep thinking.
Sure, I’ve got my calendar hanging on my wall with birthday reminders and space to fill with, well, nothing, because that would ruin the aesthetic (insert cheeky sunglasses emoji here) and Em has the next few weeks of her digital calendar filled with hikes, swims and lunches. It is important to us that we stay true to who we are and how we envision the year planning out.
We believe everyone deserves to own the space they occupy in the world, and fill that space with:
- People they resonate with and feel comfortable showing up for;
- Work that both motivates and challenges them; and
- Things that give them joy.
We can’t expect each of us to work and be motivated to work in the same ways – and why should we? We’re all unique (that looks so cliche typed out but I’m sticking to it because I believe it) – we each have a story to share and an experience that has shaped our thinking. We each have a guilty pleasure and that one thing we turn to to find a sense of happiness. No doubt, what keeps me up at night is different to what keeps you up. At DAPPER, we like to hone in on these unique attributes that make our clients and ourselves human, rather than look past them. We’ll continue to brainstorm ways to elevate these idiosyncrasies and motivations in our DAPPER process this year as we fine tune our product and workflows.
Our approach to working is slow, considered and intentional. So, instead of shifting gears into the fast lane (could we move any faster, though? Like, really?) we’ll be sliding left and taking the scenic route to become even more DAPPER this year – in our own time and on our own terms. Heck, we may even venture over the mountain for a midday board meeting at Muizenberg on a Monday, just because we need to catch a wave into the week rather than run a caffeine mile. Having said that, we’re still motivated to succeed this year and have a strategy in place to scale our business – so it’s not all about beach walks and surfing!
Although we’re not ones to set lavish goals and grand new year’s resolutions, we have sat over many a cup of herbal tea and a glass or two of bubbles mulling over how we want to move through the year and the lifestyle each of us hope to lead by the time the clock strikes 12 o’clock on 1 January 2023.
What got us thinking of our intentions was a crossword that has been doing the rounds (and tends to pop up after the festive season each year), about having a New year’s mantra. We did the exercise – with surprising results!
The first four words that Em saw were breakthrough, miracle, self-care and love; and I read power, strength, gratitude, and breakthrough. These may seem like ordinary words until you understand each of our personality types in relation to Insights Discovery, which we did together last year with leadership coaches, Credo Growth.
Overall, Em’s leading energies are Sunshine Yellow and Fiery Red, which means that she tends to lead a life of high energy surrounded by people and fun activities; is action-focused at work; and is stimulated by a challenge. My leading energies, on the other hand, are Earth Green and Cool Blue (yip, we’re total opposites if you look at us in this light… yin and yang), which means I typically enjoy a deep conversation and a slower energy; value people over tasks at work; hone in on the detail; and refuel alone in a quiet space with lots of reflection time.
Essentially we’ve flipped in terms of our energies if we look at our mantras for 2022. I quite like it, and I’m keen to see how we show up for ourselves, each other, our team and our clients whilst we continue to build DAPPER to greater heights.
Here’s to a year filled with strength, self-love and breakthroughs. We’re already on a roll and have exciting developments to share with you over the next few months. So stay tuned as we become even more DAPPER.