Why September is the new January

This fall, even if you don’t have kids headed back to class, the expectations we associate with the start of a new school year—homework, hard work, new work—are in the air.

My advice? Capitalize on the moment with a few resolves:        

Commit to homework

As adults we expect to learn only on the job. Experience becomes our teacher. But inevitably we stagnate. The further our careers progress the easier it is to focus only on topics that demand our attention.

We forget to learn, and quietly we fall behind.

It’s time to for all of us to do a little homework.

Homework isn’t about doing our jobs on weekends or when we’d rather be playing. Homework is about dedicating extra time, any time, to exploring new ideas and skills that we may not need today but that we’ll be grateful we have tomorrow.

This month, take a few proactive steps to bolster your knowledge about trends affecting the economy, your profession, as well as your customers and clients.

If you’re struggling to pick a topic or skill, don’t overthink it but try to avoid the obvious. China, for example, dominates today’s global economic headlines but Africa is a fast-growth market that most people know little about. When it comes to technology, predictive analytics and digitization aren’t trends, they’re staples. Get a handle on how they’re changing your business. Another suggestion: In today’s “content era,” stories are how we sell ourselves and sell our products. Resolve to become a more captivating storyteller.

Whatever you explore, no matter how obscure, it’s never been easier or more fun to access information and experts. With so many books, articles, TED talks, podcasts, or online courses to download, there’s no excuse not to read, watch or listen.

But there is an imperative. No professional today is entitled to stability. Interns to senior executives must prepare for change.

As students buckle down to study, join them. Let their curiosity be contagious. 

Commit to Hard Work

Coming off summer’s lazier days, we’re overwhelmed with projects and people we put off until fall. After Labor Day, the performance goals that seemed so far away in July are suddenly upon us. For many, the end of the quarter looms.

We meet fall’s responsibilities by summoning our work ethic—the head-down mentality we push kids to employ during their school years. As adults, we must occasionally remind ourselves that, like studying for midterms, there’s simply no substitute for time, effort and sacrifice.

I’ve always believed success must be earned every single day by working hard. I still remember how, early in my career, I’d make 50 cold calls a day instead of the typical 30 to increase my chances of signing new customers. I walked a little faster and arrived at my office a little earlier. I ate lunch on the run instead of at a restaurant. I still had fun after work and reserved weekends for family, but I never felt entitled. As a CEO, these habits haven’t changed.

This season, bring renewed levels of urgency and enthusiasm to your role. As the office invigorator, your energy will be appreciated and replicated.

Commit to Envisioning New Work

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

We pose this question to young people because youth gives us permission to dream, to envision our working lives far into the future.

Adults get a different question: “So, what do you do?”

The longer we’re in the workforce, the more we’re defined by where we are, not by where we desire to go. We stop dreaming.

But envisioning our future work—new work—has never been more important. Longer lifespans plus the changing nature of employment (more gigs, less predictable full-time jobs) have taken traditional retirement off the table. We all know this. The need to earn an income well into our later years—as well as the desire to stay engaged—means reimagining and even changing careers will be a necessity, not a luxury.

That’s why, during this back-to-school season, commit to dreaming about the future version of you.

Your next dream should be as audacious as the ones you had as a kid, when no one questioned your desire to be a fireman or an astronaut. As a student, what did you major in, and why? Maybe it’s time to revisit those interests.

Don’t let time, naysayers or cynicism reign you in. Your collective experiences and acquired knowledge are the reasons to aim high and envision exciting new work. Now more than before, you know what it takes to achieve.

So let this be a season of exploration. A time to search your heart for its future desire. Ask yourself, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”

Then, begin the homework and the hard work to make it so.