Three words to live by

I suspect I am not the only one to be glad to see the back of 2016.  While there were a few personal highs – like the launch of my publishing company and a wedding party reunion, there were a lot of lows and some, like what’s happening with our friends south of the border, continue to be worrisome.

But I am an optimist by nature, and you have to focus on the best and on what will be positive in the year ahead. 

Many years ago I stopped doing New Year resolutions. Frankly they were a waste of time, as after the initial commitment, I forgot all about them.  Instead I started to come up with three words that I wanted to live my life by in the year ahead.

That strategy has worked well for me.  So drum roll please…. the words for 2017 are Listen. Learn. Love.  (I like alliteration).  Let me explain why those words as each has several reasons for being chosen.

Listen.  It is important to listen to those around you – your colleagues, clients, family and friends.  When you listen, you learn more and can be more effective as a leader.  But I also want to listen more to myself  - to trust my intuition and act on it, and to listen to my body when it tells me that I am working too hard.

Learn.   With starting a new business, there is a lot to learn and I want to be open to that learning, as I strive to be the best I can be.  So often I learn lessons the hard way, and even if that’s how I grasp the information, I want to pay attention and act accordingly.   I also want to remember and learn from past experiences, and say “no” when I need to, instead of trying to please everyone.

Love.  I only want to work on what I love to do, hang out with people that I like and love, and who in turn value and care about me.  I also want to spend more time with the people that I really care about and love deeply like my family and close friends.

These words are probably no different from previous years but I believe they are more intentional.  I almost feel this will be the “year of me.” After the deaths of family members and friends last year and other disappointments, I am determined to live my life in a way that matters most to me.

What words would you choose?  Reflect on your past year and focus on what you want for 2017.   Then make it happen.

Learn From My Mistakes

I have been in business for myself for ten years now so you’d think I would learn and not repeat mistakes from the past.

Maybe it is menopause and my short term memory is shot, but yet again, I find myself feeling ripped off and while I am loath to admit it, I am partly to blame.

It actually all boils down to communication, or the lack of it.  Just like with teenagers, you have to ask the right questions and when you don’t, you forge ahead with misinformation and make assumptions - a dangerous way to go.  When you don’t have the full picture of what is involved, you proceed unaware that trouble lurks around the corner.

So what have I learned this time?

1.        When you don’t know, what you don’t know – ask the silly questions, do your homework and have the other person explain in full what is involved in the project and for how much.

2.        Get it in writing, spelling out exactly what will be done and what each component will cost and how the person will be reimbursed, with a payment schedule.

3.        Be specific on what you want, why you want it and how the end product will be used.

4.        Don’t expect other people to resolve problems in the way you would and then you won’t be disappointed.

I guess I am just a lifelong learner.