2 min read
Get Set for 2022 Workshop – what happened?
Facilitating an online group workshop works best when we vary the group sizes. We work with the large group (today it was 10) to set the scene, meet our fellow participants and settle into learning mode. Then we separated into groups of three or four to create more airtime for participants. We shared and said aloud the way we’d like the year ahead to be, how we ourselves would need to be for that to happen and what resources and support we’d need in order to be that way.
It can be hard for those who’ve never experienced the directness of Clean Questions to imagine how they work, and today offered up so many beautiful examples that I wanted to share a few.
When asked how they wanted 2022 to be, several members of the group used the word ‘balanced’. Everyone nodded. When we asked, ‘what kind of balanced?’ their answers varied widely.
Some said the kind that meant having more time to plan and think about career new opportunities, some wanted to settle into a steady routine that included equal measures of work and family time. Some hoped to be more in control or to travel again, others to feel it was okay to slow down, reach out for help and take the pressure off themselves.
Context is everything and almost any word you pick to describe a state you hope to achieve will have subtly different meanings in each individual’s life. Using Clean Questions to be curious about the specifics allowed us to build a shared understanding of what ‘balanced’ meant to each participant, and from this solid platform we could explore the things each person would need to achieve the equilibrium they longed for.
In answering how they would have to be in order to for 2022 to be more balanced, some universal themes emerged. Words like ‘committed’, ‘organised’, ‘intentional’ and ‘systematic’ came up. The act of putting pen to paper was important for many. One group member recognised that having a balanced attitude to life’s challenges could be aided by keeping a gratitude journal, another saw that having a balanced home life meant using a diary with clearly marked boundaries that protected days off. For others, a balanced sense of self could be achieved by signing up for life-drawing classes or by writing down difficult feelings and being willing to sit with them for a while.
One of the things that is so rewarding about this work is that even online, it creates a feeling of deep connection between people from all kinds of backgrounds, life stages and viewpoints. There is an intimacy that allows people to access how they really feel about things, and which encourages people to share their experiences and learn from each other.
Today’s session was a reminder of two things: one – that while many of our struggles are shared by others, our specific needs and desires are personal and unique; and two – how bright and clear-skied Blue Monday can feel when people have the tools they need to fully understand each other.
It’s not too late to book a Get Set for 2022 session for your organisation. Get in touch here to find out more, or join us for our next workshop on the theme of Waste on Friday 25th February 9-12.
Dive Deeper: Waste
If I spend 5 minutes looking at junk on my phone, and I do that just 3 times a day … over a year, that’s 5 whole days of being alive that I am wasting
And when we stop and look at different areas of our lives, we notice just how much time, energy and resources we are literally throwing away
Using up energy on projects you don’t love
Getting involved and staying in unhelpful conflicts
Money spent on new initiatives that fizzle out because they weren’t well-planned to begin with
In this workshop, we’ll be noticing how we reference waste as a problem, remedy or outcome and then we will work out what it is that you really want to be doing. We will start to create an action plan so that you can, without judgement, begin to question where you are wasting resources, whether it be on a professional or personal level. In a small group of 6-12 people, there’ll be time to share ideas and get us all moving towards our desired goals.
Book here: Waste on Friday 25th February 9-12.