Hi Reader

Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter this year. I hope you're getting as much value from reading them as I do from writing them.

For me, this year has been one of tremendous change and unexpected twists and turns. In reality, life is like this for most of us. Nothing is certain on this crazy journey, and sometimes all we can rely on is the fact that we can only control what we can control, and for the most part, we must be comfortable with uncertainty.

I've come to realise that the only thing I can completely control is how I process and think about information. I admit that I don't always do this right away, but over time I've gotten better at shortening the time it takes me to think more clearly about what's going on and how I'm processing it before taking action. My hope is that over time you get better at this as well.

For a longest time I used to wait until the end of the year to decide what I was going to change, whether it was to stop doing something that was bad for me or to start doing something good for me. I essentially thought of life as a straightline journey with very little requirement to course correct on a regular basis.

To be honest, in all my time of doing New Year’s resolutions, I don’t think one of them ever stuck more than a few weeks.

According to researchers only 9% of people who make New Year’s resolutions stick with them, with almost half of them abandoning them by the end of January.

What I have learnt also is that life isn't a straight line and so the best time to set a new goal is when it needs to change, rather than waiting for an arbitrary traditional milestone at the end of the year. I have found that the key to personal development and lasting change lies not in annual resolutions, but in consistent, thoughtful self-reflection and goal setting.

In this edition, we will look at how to use the Systems Thinking Iceberg as a powerful tool for personal and professional growth.

1. The Iceberg Model: A Framework for Deep Self-Reflection

The Iceberg Model of Systems Thinking offers a useful way to understand our personal growth journey by giving us a structured approach to organise the relevant information:

• Events (Tip of the Iceberg): Visible achievements and challenges
• Patterns: Recurring behaviours or situations
• Structures: Systems and environments influencing these patterns
• Mental Models: Deep-seated beliefs and assumptions shaping our actions

By working through these levels we can gradually uncover the underlying causes of our successes and setbacks, leading to more meaningful personal development.

2. Structuring Your Personal Review Process

Regular self-reflection is crucial for continuous improvement. Here's how to structure your reviews effectively:

Choose Your Interval:

• Daily for small habits and immediate course corrections
• Weekly or monthly for short-term goals and pattern recognition
• Quarterly for broader trend analysis and mid-term goal adjustments
• Annually for big-picture reflection and long-term planning

Apply the Iceberg Model:

• Events: List recent accomplishments and challenges
• Patterns: Identify recurring themes in your behaviours and outcomes
• Structures: Examine the systems and environments influencing these patterns
• Mental Models: Uncover and challenge the beliefs driving your actions

3. Aligning Goals with Mental Models

Examine how your mental models influence your goal setting:

• Reflect on your beliefs about success, growth, and fulfillment
• Challenge limiting beliefs that might hinder your progress
• Craft goals that resonate with the reality of who you are and your values

4. Systems Thinking in Self Development

Adopt a systemic approach to personal growth:

• Recognise the relationships and connections of different life areas
• Anticipate how changes in one area might affect others
• Design supportive structures and environments that facilitate goal achievement

5. Continuous Improvement Strategies

Consider some of these additional strategies to help you develop a regular review of your direction.

• Keep a record or growth journal to track insights from each review session
• Regularly reassess and adjust your goals based on new learnings
• Celebrate progress and view setbacks as valuable learning opportunities

Whatever cycle you use to review your personal and professional progress, make sure it is flexible and adaptable enough so that you can take advantage of those critical moments to adjust while the learning is still fresh, and don't put it on hold for months because then you're unlikely to remember the details of the situation.

Feedback is best eaten when it's served 😋

Remember that personal development is an evolutionary process, and taking the time to reflect on a regular basis increases your chances of identifying patterns, refining your understanding, and adjusting your course which is more likely to drive meaningful, long-term change in your life.

If you found this useful hit REPLY and let me know. It's just me and the dog 🐕 for Xmas and New Years so I'd love to hear from you.

On that note I look forward to seeing you in 2025.

​ Michael Collins Cyber Cognition

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