Into the Unknown

Having just finished a morning workout the day after Christmas, I opened the door to a packed out steam room and sat down to rest and think about the year ahead. Shortly after I sat down, another gentlemen stepped in and squeezed into a tight space on the bench right beside me. He then abruptly shouted, “So what did everyone do for Christmas?” He went on to ask what everyone ate, talked about what he made, and then broke into a debate on which bakery in town truly makes the best Christmas cookies. Just like that, rather than thinking about the year ahead, my mind was thrusted into the past. 

To cap off the moment, as I left the locker room the last thing I heard was “Hey Vin, remember when you used to get pulled over on Christmas and if you had booze in the car they just made you dump it out and sent you on your way? Not today, those were the good old days.”

Some people just seemed to be stuck in time, while others are focused on moving forward. 

The same holds true for organizations. The pages of history are filled with the names of companies who are no longer with us because they failed to innovate and challenge themselves. The same people that utter the phrase “Those were the good old days” are likely also proponents of the phase “We have always done it this way.” It is widely known, these are the seven words of a dying organization. 

Make no mistake, tradition is important. Tradition is rooted in purpose, and is part of the fabric that holds families and organizations together. One of the timeless traditions we hold onto and capture in pictures at Christmas time is sitting around the tree opening presents. For children, it’s the anticipation of opening gifts, while for us parents, it’s the anticipation of seeing their reaction. This is a moment of time we could all stay stuck in ... but what if the gifts were the same every year? What would happen if we failed to innovate our gift giving as our children grew older? The gifts would become irrelevant, the tradition would lose it’s luster, and eventually it’s purpose. Innovation is a critical component of maintaining the purpose of tradition.

Perhaps the most over used phase in the history of the English language is “They grow up so fast.” Except for when the epic Disney masterpiece “Frozen” came along. That was a season it seemed we would all be stuck in forever, our kids just could not “Let it go.”

But eventually they did, as Disney knew they would, which is why of course they had to innovate and make Frozen II. Once again our home is now filled with singing as our 5 and 9 year old belt out “Into the Unknown” throughout the halls of our house daily. A catchy song that both adults and organizations can learn something from.

In this scene, we are pulled into Elsa’s internal battle between holding onto the present, staying in her comfort zone, and avoiding the call she is hearing to step out into the unknown. As the song builds she eventually makes the decision to follow her calling, she runs towards the shore and is faced with large waves she will have to overcome to move forward. The waves are unforgiving, but she persists. Time and time again she is thrusted back to the shore, but she doesn’t give up. With one last push she presses forward, overcomes the waves, steps out into the unknown, and into her purpose. 

Walt Disney continues to capture our imagination, while challenging us through their three fundamental pillars: generating the best creative content possible; fostering innovation and utilizing the latest technology; and expanding into new markets around the world.

In just a few days the ball will drop once again in Times Square, and the bright lights will flash 2020. Some will choose to step into a new year, a new decade, a new chapter in their life, a new era for their organization, a step forward into fulfilling the purpose they were created for. Others will avoid the unknown, hold firmly onto the comfort of the present and the past, and continue to tell tales of the good old days. 

Every person and every organization is called to a purpose. The key to achieving it is remembering that purpose is not just why we start, it’s why we move forward. 

”Purpose is not just why we start, it’s why we move forward.”

For me, the countdown of the ball drop on New Year’s Eve is about celebrating a timeless tradition surrounded by friends and family, while anticipating the unknown that the new year will bring. What does it mean to you?

The time is almost upon us ... 10 ... 9 ... 8 ...

Are you ready to step forward?