Signal and Noise

After three long years of COVID getting in the way, we are home for Christmas.??“Home” for us is Montreal, Canada.??It’s where Sandra and I grew up and where our entire family lives (… and I do mean everyone … parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, childhood friends).??I often tell people that Sandra and I live two lives, our life in Montreal and our life in Switzerland - we love both because the backdrops are incredibly different and this contrast seems to allow us to keep a lot of things in perspective.??Of course, this time of year always represents an opportunity to spend time with those most important to us and as a result, to pause and reflect.??I call it my mental detox, “separating signal from noise” and with us having been away for so long, this year things seem a little clearer.

?Signal:

• It’s clear we are all getting older.??The passage of time is the only thing you can’t affect, no matter how hard you try or how much money you throw at it.??So use time as a scarce raw material and produce with it, the most amazing “product” you possibly can.
• If you want to continue to learn and grow, spend time with children.??Kids look through a different lens, their perspective is simple, clear and unencumbered by paradigm.??Their freedom to think, say, explore, challenge, question is a gift that I believe erodes over time - so sit with kids and load up on this super power.
• There aren’t “bigger” or “smaller” people in the world.??Just people navigating different circumstances, pursuing different passions and contributing in different ways.??My entire family is blue collar and although they don’t have fancy university diplomas on their walls, they make a huge difference to their employers, their families, their communities.??Ordinary people doing extraordinary things - our world operates better because of these people and we should never lose sight of that.
• Invest in memories, not monuments.??One of my favourite things about this time of year is how much time I get to spend with my wife and daughters.??That beats any possible gift they could ever buy me and at the end of the day those memories and stories will withstand the test of time, they have infinite shelf life.??So invest in memories.
• Laugh more.??I think laughing is the way human beings exchange happiness - in essence, it is the currency that we use to buy and sell a little bit of joy with others.??So use this form of currency more often, I would suggest the return on this particular investment will far outweigh any other. So laugh and make others laugh.

?Noise:

• Meetings, financial targets or KPI’s you might have missed at work.??Companies are incredibly resilient organisms.??They adapt, forget and move on quickly.??They existed prior to your arrival and it’s likely they will exist after your departure.??So do excellent work, but don’t let the work you do define, govern or consume you.
• The argument you had with some one weeks, months or years ago.??Hanging on to conflict is like trying keep an ice cube from melting in your hand on a warm summer day.??It’s stressful, useless and impossible.??So clear the air and move on, carrying that baggage serves no purpose.??ZERO.
• Problems.??Nearly every problem is about a moment in time.??Some last a little longer and may be a little more severe but the interesting thing about problems is that they always seem bigger in the moment and they usually have a way of working themselves out or taking you to a better place by virtue of the force they exert on your life (both are good outcomes).??So broaden your perspective and timeline when a particular problem seems insurmountable.
• The evening news.??There is very little inspiration, happiness, hope or optimism that can be gained by watching the evening news (especially right now).??So monitor your consumption (just like we do the barrage of food and desserts we are exposed to during the holiday season).??I tend to prescribe to an “as much as necessary and as little as possible” approach on this one - I have found that it helps de-clutter the mind and helps with optimism.
• A little extra grey, a couple of extra kilos or a few more wrinkles.??Short of these things getting in the way of your health, this is nature’s way of celebrating your longevity, your wisdom, your tenacity, your resilience …. So CELEBRATE AWAY I say !!

So to everyone out there in the LinkedIn universe who I have had an opportunity to meet, work with, work for, share a meal with, share a stage with, exchange a quick email with or … even if we don’t know each other at all, let me take this opportunity to thank you for being a part of my ecosystem and of course wish you and yours a healthy, happy and restful holiday season as well as a 2023 filled with nothing but the best life has to offer !!