Who sits on your personal board?
If you write a weekly column like I do or keep a journal, you are in luck because it is easier to scheme through key moments.
What you need to know:
- It is a good time to take stock of the year that has been.
- Like a company, I took a step back last weekend to write a ‘board paper’ about my highs and lows for the year.
- Take some time to reflect and see how they spur you towards your goals.
We have just two Fridays left in 2023 and I think it is a good time to take stock of the year that has been. What is your favourite 2023 memory? What conversation of 2023 are you unlikely to ever forget?
The concept of a personal board was introduced to me by one of my mentors. She works in the space of professional development, and I imagine phrases like ‘clustering illusion’, ‘judgement bias’ or ‘personal board’ are regular in the flow of her life.
“Think of yourself as a company. Who are your critical shareholders? What are your medium and long term goals? What are the blockers?” she said on that bewildering day, two years ago, when I learned that a person could be a company and even have a board!
Social media
Like a company, I took a step back last weekend to write a ‘board paper’ about my highs and lows for the year; and make plans to work on what didn’t go too well. If you write a weekly column like I do or keep a journal, you are in luck because it is easier to scheme through key moments. If you do not, then your social media posts might be another place to look.
The moments that were so good you really wanted to share with the world can be a great entry into the things that shaped your world in 2023. These (my journal entries, social media posts and my column) were some of the materials I used to put together the ‘board paper’ of my life this year.
Well, before I begin to sound like an unwelcome motivational speaker, I will dive into what I want us to chat about. Think about today’s column as a vlog – me walking you through how I am doing the review of my year. I will try to be vivid in my descriptions.
I am sitting on a swivel chair at my study. Next to me, on my right, are a couple of books I particularly enjoyed reading this year. They make it to the list of my 2023 books for different reasons. If this were a real vlog, I would show you the colourful book covers – Bird Summons by Leila Aboulela is cream with coloured, stylish fonts used to imprint the book title. The book is big on cross-generational friendships and taught me so much about the deep uniqueness we all carry. It was a gift from Dr Jennifer Muchiri, my professor, turned friend. She is also one of the people who ‘sit’ on my personal board. She Came to Slay – The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman by Erica Armstrong Dunbar is another of the several books that have defined 2023 for me. It has a white hard cover with big red letters spelling the title. This biography was a gift from my friend, Gladys Gachanja, who also ‘sits’ on my personal board. It got a spot on my books of the year because it helped me appreciate the history of slavery in a deeper way, and brought me closer to understanding the complexity of the world I live in.
Books, people, places
I note down the ways these books transformed my thinking. I include screenshots of my journal entries with the most significant conversations I have had with my two ‘board members’ this year, and link them to my personal and professional aspirations. After doing this, I move to the next section of my paper.
All these – books, people, and places I have visited paint the picture of what Daisy’s personal board looks like. At a more appropriate time, I will introduce other people who ‘sit’ on my board. They are mentors, advocates, trusted friends, bosses…people I know I can call at 2am and they’d show up for me. And just like it is for a corporate board, my people hold me accountable for the goals I set, and everything in between. Don’t overthink it— you probably already have a personal board; you just call it a different name, something like support system?
And as I flip through different editions of Daisy’s World, I am thankful to my editor, Dorcas Odumbe, for entrusting me with a whole column! Without her confidence and support, I wouldn’t be on this platform. Through this column, I have connected with interesting readers who have challenged me to write better, who have told me the stories of their own lives, and who have sharpened my focus as a columnist in one way or another.
Over to you; what are the key moments, people and things/experiences that have shaped your belief in 2023 and going forward? Take some time to reflect and see how they spur you towards your goals. In the words of Lois Wyse “A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future…”
The writer is the Research & Impact Editor, NMG
