Winter is a time for planning, but Summer is a time for reflection, on both your business and your personal life.
Earlier this month I wrote about “reforecasting” your budget for the second half of the year.
While that’s critical, this is also the time to engage in reflective planning for next year.
Here are insights on both business and personal reflections.
Winter is a time for planning, but Summer is a time for reflection, on both your business and your personal life. Click To Tweet
Reflection On The Business
How did this spring work for you?
- Are there changes you would make to marketing, hiring, or seasonal transitions?
- New markets or clients you want to focus on? Refrain from?
You can’t wait til winter to reflect on this, you will forget too many details.
What are you hoping to achieve next year?
- You have to contemplate that now, and start formulating your ideas for 6-18 months out.
- It may seem early, but as an owner or division leader it is your role to look out this far.
Summer Is Also A Time For Personal Reflection
Have you achieved everything you wanted to do this year? What are your dreams for next year?
It’s been a strange couple of years, and I think we can all agree that it’s time for a reset.
It’s been a strange couple of years, and I think we can all agree that it’s time for a reset. Click To Tweet
Reflections On My Trip To Spain And Portugal
We finally made it on our trip to the Iberian Peninsular (Spain, Portugal) that we had originally planned 3 years ago.
Here are some of my reflections:
Innovation: I got to see the famous Picasso paintings in Madrid, and learned how his innovations in painting were happening at the same time as Einstein’s new crazy theories in relativity. Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
Presence: We visited northern Portugal and were surprised by the mountainous topography and genuine hospitality of the people. Everyone worked at a steady but very pleasant pace. A nice change from the go-go attitudes of home. The Portuguese seemed more “in the moment”.
Connection: I was able to meet up with an old college friend from my MBA studies in the Netherlands. We had not seen each other since 1994! He just moved to Portugal with his young family and we happened to be “in the neighborhood”.
By pivoting away from my original travel plan, we had the opportunity to reconnect! That’s an important lesson for me.
Bonds. My wife and I renewed our bonds. You would think we said it all after 26+ years together, but nope, we found there is always more to discover and share.
Excitement. We used our time driving the countryside to set plans for some exciting future trips. We decided on two (Scuba and Biking) that will push our comfort zones and help us achieve goals we set for ourselves a long time ago.
Your Challenge: Worry Only About The Things You Can Control
As you reflect on what happened this year, realize that there is much you cannot control in life.
Success is about making the right decisions on the things we can control.
Happiness is about not worrying about all those things we can’t control.
Staying happy and in-the-moment is not easy for any of us, it takes constant practice.
I wish for you both success and happiness this year and next!
Regards,
Jeffrey
P.S. A question to think about…are you as present when you get home at night with your family, as you are during the daytime at work?
