Bob Wilson, CEBS
Seems like only yesterday we were ushering in the start of 2017. And suddenly we look up and it’s December already. Wow. Where did all the time go and what did we accomplish? Did I make good use of my time, which becomes more precious and fleeting every day? Am I making my work, community and world a better place? Did I apply my best effort? Am I proud of all I’ve done this past year? Those are the things I find myself asking a lot this time of year. It’s a time of reflection, for all of us.
I wrote a blog last December where I shared this is my favorite time of year because we – ALL of us for one reason or another – are more patient, friendly and caring to each other. Our personal walls seem to ease and we truly see each other. It’s a sweet time of year. But how did we do the rest of the year? Have we advanced the ball, made things better for ourselves, our families and all those around us? These are hard questions to ask because we all know what we’re capable of if we really apply ourselves. But it’s so easy to get bogged down in the day to day, week to week routines. Then we wake up one day and the year is almost over. And that list of ‘other things we wanted to do’ is long, outdated and quite dusty.
We all have those lists: clean the basement, volunteer work, do something unexpectedly sweet for a loved one, tell the neighbor ‘thank you’ for some selfless errand they did for you, eat more healthy, exercise. So we rewrite the list and tell ourselves “someday I’ll get to that”. I’ll be the first to admit that ‘busy work’ can easily get the best of my time. And I can be the king of making great excuses for myself. I have a lot of books on time management that are on my list to read someday – Ha!
So how about a challenge for 2018: Pay it forward. Do just a few small things to move that ball further down the field to make this world a better place.
Take a 5 minute walk at lunch and notice how much better you feel. (Most of us make the mistake of starting out trying to run for an hour, then we get frustrated and quit.) Just make yourself a little better, every day.
Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in years, just to tell them you miss them. I recently did that and it was amazing.
Look someone in the eye and say thank you.
Or try this – pay for the meal of the person behind you at a fast food restaurant – then quietly watch their reaction, and notice yours! We can move mountains with our hearts.
See the good in others.
In my time of reflection I’m amazed and inspired by everyone at LAGERS. I’ve taken the time to think about each and every one on the team. I’ve grown so much by being around them. They are smart, funny, dedicated and caring. It’s funny because they are all so incredibly different but share a common passion: they truly care deeply about our members and their work. Instead of keeping it to myself, maybe I’ll add to my “list” to actually tell them. I urge you to do the same. I think you’ll be surprised by the reaction.
Happy Holidays everyone! I wish you the best for 2018.
