Hard to believe it, but 2011 is coming to a close. Where has the year gone? I’ll be spending a good part of the month on vacation, taking some time to unplug, recharge, think things through, and approach 2012 full speed ahead. What do you have on deck this month?
Each week I recap some of the best things I’ve read/seen/heard from around the web. I also get you up to date on what you may have missed here on the blog. It’s perfect “right-before-the-weekend-already-checked-out-at-work-on-a-Friday-afternoon” reading.
Best From Around the Web
- What’s the worst thing that can happen to me? - Nina Yau, who I had the pleasure of meeting last year before she really took of toward where she is today, asks the very, very important question, “What’s my worst case scenario”. As I talk to people looking to make big transitions and changes in their life, personal or professional, this one question is absolutely critical.
- Archer unveils new office – Mostly, I’m including this because I want to work (and live) in this office. Me likey.
- All You Need is Love – My friend Elisa is bringing back her “All You Need is Love” series on her blog. If you haven’t been a part of the series the past couple years, I highly encourage you to get involved. (Also, check out my post from a couple years back)
- A great way to give thanks – Seth Godin helps put into perspective that you, and I, and everyone else who has the opportunity to read this, is in a spot that thousands would do anything to be in. Don’t waste the opportunities in front of you.
- The One Page Career “Cheat Sheet” – Do you like your job? Do you like what you do? Sarah Peck has drawn up a career “cheat sheet” (that you can download as a PDF). Check it out, ask yourself the questions, and maybe gain a little clarity.
- NaBloPloMo Goals and Milestones – November was a big month for Laura – both online and off. One of the key takeaways for bloggers? Don’t worry about writing epic blog posts. Keep it simple. Don’t self edit yourself (see my post on that from last week). Just write.
- The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (soundtrack) - If you read this blog often, you know I have a crush on two things: Saved by the Bell and Trent Reznor. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo looks to be one of the best remakes ever (though you really SHOULD see the originals) – and the soundtrack/score orchestrated by T. Rez (we go way back) will no doubt be awesome.
- Why Girls Don’t Want Careers in Tech – An interesting piece on FastCompany about women working in the field of technology (or the lack there of) and why it will be up to us to raise our daughters to be uber-good at coding.
- Best About Pages – My company (Proof) was featured on bestaboutpages.com. We’re honored to be included with such sexy company.
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Holy crap, where has the year gone?
Somehow, someway, we’ve arrived (already) at the month of December. Our Christmas trees are up, we’re sipping Gingerbread Lattes, and our eyes are on enjoying some time off with friends and family through the holidays.
How has your year been? What have you done? What have you accomplished? What’s been left on the table?
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The first thing I though when I started running my own business? “I’ll never have to go into an office again! I can work from home in my PJs and watch Full House reruns every single day for the rest of my life!”
A few months in, I was showering as soon as I woke up, getting dressed, and getting out the door to go work from any coffee shop or shared working space that would have me. I never wanted to watch another episode of Full House again.
The reason? The freedom of doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, got to be overwhelming. Without some routine, without structure or constraint, I lost motivation, my productivity slacked, and my stress level skyrocketed.
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At age six, my parents got divorced. At the time, I was far too young to understand the impact and enormity of what happened. That my world around me was being turned upside down. That I would experience first-hand what it’s like for two people to love each other, fall out of love, and then hate one another. That I would be pulled, for the next twenty years, in dramatically different directions. That my beliefs would be combated, my will would be tested, and my relationships challenged.
You see, when you’re six years old, you don’t think about things like this. You think about which Ninja Turtle is the best (Leonardo), not which parent you want to live with. You ask questions like “Where in the world IS Carmen Sandiego?” not “Why is mom sleeping with another woman?”. You think about things like POGS, Tamagotchis, and Saturday night SNICK, rather than spending your time questioning your Catholic upbringing and your relationship with God.
But I didn’t have the textbook childhood upbringing. Of course, I had quite a collection of POGS. Yes, I was first in line for the latest Beanie Baby, and without question, I had literally every single Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figure you could think of – but underneath it all, I was thrust into an environment that I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in, one that, for a while, I absolutely hated, but one that, ultimately, today, I couldn’t be more grateful for.
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It’s around this time of year that everyone gets into the “retrospective” mood. We look back at the year that was. The ups. The downs. The stumbles. The falls. The successes and triumphs. The lessons learned. The questions asked. Friendships made. Relationships evolved. Money earned. The milestones and the memories. The holidays brings all of this out in one fell emotional swoop.
And on the eve of Thanksgiving, there’s no better time to not only reflect on what was, but look ahead at what will be. To put things into perspective.
But above all, now is a time to be thankful, and to understand and embrace what matters most. What really matters.
Take some time off. Unplug. Really, take a break. You earned it. Your clients will be there when you get back. That proposal will get written. Those emails will get answered. Calls will be returned.
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