How often do you live in the details, knowing it's important to be strategic but not sure where to fit that in?

Three situations popped up this week that made me focus on this topic: 

Earlier this week, the song, Stuck In My Way by Lauren Watkins, came on my XM radio station.  The song is focused on coming out of a relationship, but it made me think about our habits. 

Are we stuck in our ways as a good thing (healthy habits and practices), or are we stuck doing things the way we've always done them because it's easier than figuring out what to do next or dealing with the fear of leaving our comfort zone?

I love the Memories feature on Facebook. I see moments that I treasured as my kids were growing up, favorite race memories, and sad moments. This week, I saw a memory from many years ago where I captured the sadness of my kids when my parents’ dog died…" but he was part of our family."  My daughter was surprised that I shared those kinds of moments on Facebook.

Fast-forward to today as I write this. One of my memories from last year was a trip to Austin, TX, for my first business retreat. I remember a coffee outing with two of my old Accenture HR colleagues. Catching up with them was so fun, but it also translated several months later into creating a small group of ex-Accenture HR leaders who have gone out on their own and want to stay connected so we can support each other.

In December 2022, I wrote about 10 lessons I learned as an Imperfect Leader, most of which were from my corporate experiences.

I’ll share those highlights and then 5 new ones since I’ve been on my entrepreneurial journey. 

As we plan for our next home, one of my criteria is a fire pit on a patio close to the house, ideally a gas one that I can easily turn on whenever I want that experience.

I did virtually no camping as a child. Still, as an adult, I enjoy the energy I get from sitting around a fire with friends and family, listening to music, eating s'mores, drinking a glass of wine, and enjoying the energy that comes from the experience. If I'm 100% honest, I don't do it much at home right now because it requires a real fire, is away from the house a bit, and too often, I'm ready for bed early…yes, a bit lame.

This may sound like an easy question to answer, but I think it's one of the harder ones if we think beyond the immediate moment.

🤔 What do I want from my life?

🤔 What do I want from my job/career?

 🤔 What do I want from my relationships with family and friends?

Change often happens slowly, so we don’t notice that we have made progress. If we think about our kids, we may not realize how much they've grown until we're away for a week, or we look back at pictures from six months ago and recognize that they have changed. Or we think about the time we're putting in at the gym, and suddenly, we notice that we have more arm definition when we decide to wear a sleeveless top.

We are often triggered to shrink back to who and what we think we should be. 

Are you fading into the fabric or standing out?

Are you a connector naturally, or is it something you want to work on?  We can be better at being a connector by listening to the people around us and consciously looking for opportunities of who or what we can connect them with.  It requires us to be intentional in our desire to help someone else find what they’re looking for, maybe even before they recognize it.

What would this actually look like?

✔️No mistakes.

✔️No emotional reactions to stressful situations.

✔️Sufficient time allotted to coach every team member in their own unique way.