Failure is top of mind for me this week for two reasons. 

The first one is that Amy Edmondson's new book, Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well came out this week, and I've had the chance to listen to her on a podcast and see her speak on a webinar with Josh Bersin.  I'm looking forward to reading through her insights over the coming weeks.

As I mentioned last week, my daughter moved into her new freshman dorm last week and is getting acclimated to this new chapter in her life journey. As I've been following Facebook posts in a parents group for students, I've seen a lot of messaging about children who are struggling with making the adjustment to a new environment. I had a sense my daughter was doing ok from the quick texts she had sent, but I finally got a chance for a live conversation on Thursday.

I mentioned what I was seeing, and she was pretty blunt as she often is with her perspective.

Who do you want to be when you grow up?

If you’re not sure, that’s ok.  No matter what age you are.  I know I still ask myself this question on a regular basis.

I want to know the mark I’m going to make on the world around me.  I want my life to have made an impact.

As part of my morning routine, I select a reflection card from a deck I had bought for my business (View Changer cards). One of the cards this week read, "What do I need to let go of to create room for what really matters?" My first reaction was…ooh, that's a really good question so I'm now sharing it with you to consider.

So often, we might lead with what didn't go well vs. what went right.  As an achievement-focused individual, I always focus on what I could do better or differently.  I want to be the best version of myself or accomplish what I believe is possible.  But I'm working on focusing on what's going right more than what I need to change.

This week has included many conversations about busyness, planning, and the power of the pause. When was the last time you carved out time to reflect on how things are going?

How do you make your best decisions? Is it through analysis? Is it by playing out all of the scenarios? Is it by trusting your gut? All of those ways of making decisions are important, but trusting what your gut is telling you often is the best final step.

Have you ever made a decision and then realized it was the wrong one, and you realized you didn't listen to your gut? I know I have.

According to my Google search, success is defined as "the accomplishment of an aim or purpose." When asked what our definition of success is, the answers are varied but may hit some common themes:

How has your first half gone? Probably like many of you, I've had some highs and some lows, sometimes feeling like I'm on a roller coaster stuck when I'm hanging upside down!

It's so important to ensure we are checking in with ourselves on a regular basis, weekly, monthly, and quarterly so we can assess how things are going.