December 9, 2004
Taking Stock |
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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?
From all of us at ILA, we hope you enjoy
the holidays and wish you all the best for 2005. Thank you for your
continuing support of our work.
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