Mick was sharing how he had adapted his plans to his current situation. Since our last meeting, he had realized the overwhelming amount of work he had gotten himself into and how it required him to cut back on his habits and time. He had decided for himself that he could manage this for the time this situation would last. That would be possible as part of that work would slowly reduce itself and come to an end.

He shared his enthusiasm for his new plan and his ability to see the time “after”. That is the moment everything would be “new”. The new year, his new project ramping up and being himself in a new context.

Digging into it we realized that he had the same strategy for the projects that were coming to an end as well as the one he had started a while ago. The latter being the one he was hoping to see in an all-new light when the new year would start.

His strategy was to get through it until he would again find time to breathe. This focus influenced his plan.

Plans are shaped by the end we see and aim for.

If it is getting to a fresh start, moving into a reactive mode until then is a logical consequence.

Taking the opportunity to discuss his plans for the upcoming project, Mick explained the negotiations he had engaged in. They would allow him to move into action when entering the new year. He was aiming to have his team present by then and had an overview of the tasks they would start with. Everything was in line for execution.

He also knew that he wanted to build a strong team with an excellent reputation. Imagining his project he had described it through team size in a few years, the activities they would engage in and the rewards they would receive. To draw this picture he had used the competence he had built through past challenges. Relying on his expertise to execute and react to challenges had given him his focus.

His chosen strategy was to align all the necessary actions.

What Mick was learning from our conversation was that he could aim higher. If building his team was his most important desire, he needed to shift his focus to that task. And now was the time to do so. He needed a description of what a strong team would look like as well as what its excellent reputation would be based on.

As he was up for a fresh start he could just as well allow himself to design the fundamentals. Something he had not had the opportunity to do in the past.

It enabled him to see how describing his team now would be shaping how he would choose and lead the team.