Friday Retrospective

Two weeks down. 2021 doesn’t feel any different, except business seems to be a little more steady, a different team has decided to protest, apparently we are now multiplying dog years by 8 instead of 7, and my boss’ 5 year old son can now correctly identify wine and beer, where all adult beverages used to be encompassed in one “mommy and daddy juice” category. I wasn’t expecting anything different…there’s no difference to me between 31 December and 1 January. But maybe I hoped somehow the energy in the room would be a little more positive. Having experienced a few potholes along life’s road over the years, I’ve really embraced that idea that positivity is a choice. It’s a choice that we have to learn to make…it takes practice, focus, commitment, sometimes a little perspective, and it’s not always easy to stay the course. It’s not always the case, but all too often it seems that the people who “make it” are those that ignore the negativity, and those that don’t “make it” tend to get caught up in what went wrong along the way. If you’re selling CDs, or investing all of your money in Blockbuster franchises, there are some obvious variables prohibiting long term success…but in so many other instances, mindset is truly a differentiator. I always circle back to my dog Levi as my example…he knows very little negative…occasionally he gets in trouble for climbing onto the counter to steal food, but he is unwavering in his pursuit, always thinking of the end goal, never letting a little punishment deter him. Whether the goal is financial gain, physical achievement, lowering your golf handicap, or just being happier in life, be more like Levi…put one paw in front of the other and practice positive. Maybe watch a little less news too…that “reality TV” will have you thinking the sky is falling.