For most of us, the New Year is a time of reflection: Assess how the last year went; Plan for the next year, realign your sights, and try again. Thing is, I don’t like repeats. That doesn’t even make sense to me. One year following another isn’t a do-over. Time moves forward and I need to move forward with it. Last year is complete. I did as much as I did, and now it is simply time to move forward on that base, whatever it may be.
Over the years, I’ve found life to be a bit of a moving
object. A year seems like a lot to plan for when you just don’t know what’s
coming. So rather than setting a distinct plan, which would involve steps,
tracking progress, and distinct goals, I set a theme. Similar to a plan, a theme gives
me a line to walk; an overall play to run for the coming year with a general
anticipated outcome… but with the steps undefined and outcome set as a rough
idea rather than a landing spot.
Last year at this time, I was trying to get my head around how to pull together the extensive variety of experiences, education, and learning I’ve gathered throughout my life thus far, and somehow organize it into something that stands on its own. I envisioned a business where I could be contracted rather than employed; hired for what my skills bring to the table as is, not how they may possibly fit into someone else’s puzzle if we just bend, twist, and hone them to fit someone else’s preference. I’d had enough of that.
As a working adult, I have drawn on the various every piece of my knowledge and expertise here and there, but never all at once towards one goal – and yet I’ve always thought that ought to be possible "someday". Last year, looking into 2009, I felt like I was at that crux; the rubber was hitting the road and the time of coalescing had come. What that might look like, I had only a vague idea… but it sounded inviting and exciting. Thus, the theme was born: organization. I would spend the next year in search of a way to organize my world in such a way that all my different pieces somehow fit together to work in harmony towards one purpose. I was curious to see how that would look… and felt that there was no way to actually plan for it since I didn’t have a clue how it going to evolve. So I set the theme, and rumbled on.
One year later, I do in fact feel more organized. I have created an organization – a company – complete with a mission. Aiming at a particular set of niches, I am focusing my skills and knowledge in a direction that will touch the people that I think will benefit the most: women; male-dominated organizations and industries; and small, family-owned companies. And the difference from last year is palpable. I feel purposeful in a way that I never have. I feel focused, centered, and organized.(Although honestly, if you looked around my office, that's not the impression you'd get.)
Leveraging off of last year’s theme, I’ve come to believe that this coming year, 2010, will be based on the theme activation. I am looking forward to activating ideas and concepts that came along last year while conceiving my organization. I feel like it’s a process of moving from passive energy (contemplative) to kinetic energy (active). As I look forward, I anticipate being inspired by last year’s ideas and formulations, as I will now be actively moving on those possibilities and seeing where they take me. It sounds inviting… and exciting.
I will be curious to see what this all looks like one year from now (and also whether I can draw on it to activate some organization in my office while I'm at it).
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