December 9, 2004 Taking Stock

If you have ever been on a treadmill, you would likely agree that somewhere between 3 - 3.5 mph is a fairly comfortable pace for walking. Now imagine that the speed is suddenly turned up to about 5.5 mph. You will quickly discover that walking is no longer an option. You must now begin running in order to keep up, and no matter how you slice it, running is much different than walking.

The world is a lot like the treadmill. Every year the speed is increased and you are expected to accomplish more. But like the treadmill, you cannot continue to do the same thing (just walking), and merely hope to do it fast enough. To keep up, you are going to have to do some things differently-sometimes very differently.

Changing what you do or the way you act is pretty tough stuff. It takes time to think about what you currently are doing, and to assess what you have to begin doing differently in order to meet those ever-increasing expectations. It requires you to reflect back on your experiences so you can learn from them, and to look forward, so you can prepare yourself for the new challenges awaiting you.

It seems as if time passes by so quickly that there is never an opportunity to take these looks. You may want to think about that, because one thing is certain: You are going to have to continue to learn and develop yourself, at a quicker and quicker rate, because the pace of the world is not going to slow down. Relatively speaking, the speed is already at 5 mph and quickly approaching 7.

December is always a great time to reflect on the past year, and to look ahead to what might be in store. We invite you to stop and take a breath (as unusual as that might feel), to reflect on what you have learned and accomplished, and to think about what you want to ensure happens for you-and by you-during the upcoming year. We hope you will accept that invitation and treat yourself to some thoughtful introspection from the few questions that follow. You might be surprised at what you discover!

Looking Back

• What was your greatest accomplishment this year?

• In what ways did you grow or improve?

• What did you do of which you are very proud?

• What did you intend to do, that you just did not get to? What do you plan to do about that?

Did your responses apply to both work and personal items? It is not uncommon to refer more frequently to work when thinking about goals and accomplishments, but that is only one part of who you are.

Looking Forward

• What would make 2005 a spectacular year for you? How committed are you to pursuing whatever that is?

• What one thing would you most like to improve or change about yourself? Why is this important to you?

• At the end of next year, what is one thing that you "absolutely must" accomplish? What might you have to do differently to make that happen?