Just over three weeks ago, many of us were filled with hope and determination, setting ambitious resolutions with the thought, "This year will be different!" But as the weeks pass, keeping that initial energy can be tough. After reviewing last year’s business and personal goals, I thought to myself, I can’t do this again and see so many goals go unaccomplished. Ugh! It felt crappy.

That’s why this year I decided to put a different type of plan in place. I participated in a vision board party with several friends, colleagues and my daughter. We had a blast with food, beverages, conversation and lots of magazines. The goal was to put things on our board that we wanted to attract and/or accomplish in the coming year while being open to how it manifests itself. (Note: it's not too late to create one.)

So… a quarter of you may have called it quits already and about 43% of you will be over it by the end of this month.  You are not alone.  Part of the challenge is keeping up the momentum and not allowing ourselves to be sucked back into old habits we’re trying to eliminate. I have what I call a “schizophrenic squirrel” that sits on my left shoulder and tries to distract me with shiny objects, easy way outs and things not in my vision.

 It's hard to stick to resolutions. Here are a few factors that make it tough to keep up with resolutions:

·  We set unrealistic expectations: We get too ambitious or choose goals that just aren’t doable within the given timeframe, leading to frustration and eventually giving up.

·  We lack specificity: Vague resolutions like "get fit" or "save money" are harder to follow through with than very specific, measurable goals.

·  We fail to plan: Without a clear plan, it becomes challenging to stay on track and make consistent progress. I’m a classic “underestimater” of time. Ugh!!

·  We Burnout: Our excitement and enthusiasm at the beginning of the year can quickly fade, unless we have a bigger overarching specific reason to follow through. Maybe embrace a year-long vision instead.

Instead of fixating on vague resolutions that often fall by the wayside, consider embracing a year-long vision. Create a visible and tangible version of your vision so you can see it every day.  This broader perspective allows for a more open and holistic approach to personal growth. By focusing on long-term objectives and being open to change, you can create a sustainable path to success.

Steps to Implement a Year-Long Vision:

·  Define Your Vision: Clearly articulate your long-term goals and what you hope to achieve by the end of the year. Or pick word or concept that puts your vision in a nutshell.

·  Create an Action Plan: Develop a plan outlining the steps you believe are needed to achieve your vision and put some dates on them.

·  Maintain Flexibility: Be open to adjusting your plan as needed, based on progress and changing circumstances.

·  Track Progress: Check in your progress and make adjustments to stay on course.

Sticking to New Year's resolutions can be tough, pivoting your focus to a year-long vision offers a more flexible, run and realistic approach. Just the other day I almost bailed on one aspect of my vision, connecting with others in a non-work environment (aka I was ready to bail on my deep water aqua class because it was too early and the water was cold. Yes, I was being a big baby!). Instead, I pivoted and chose to go to the 8 o’clock class in a warmer pool. And as luck would have it, there was a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time in the class. By putting our visions out there, doing a little planning, and being open to change, we can navigate the challenges, silence the squirrels and stay committed to our vision throughout the year.

PS. Huge thank you to Carolyn Strauss for hosting the vision party and inviting my daughter and me to join in.  I look at my vision board every day and especially on Mondays!

In Colorado planting day for a garden is any time after Mother’s Day. Any earlier and things get frozen. I thought it would be great to use all the free seeds I had been given over the course of the spring and make a wildflower garden in my back forty. It’s an 8 foot wide plot of land behind my house that backs up to the canal system here.  I thought this was a fun way to use all the many seeds I had and make this eyesore of a place beautiful. (Enter eyerolls and loud laughter here.)

My husband and I went out with a pitchfork and a pickaxe to turn over the land and dig a trough for a flush with the ground border.  Yes, he was totally humoring me and supporting my vision of beautiful flowers sprouting up in a month or so.  After we got the land turned over, pulled out many pounds of rocks and some debris, I spread my wildflower and sunflower seeds all over the plot.  I diligently watered them daily.  And two weeks later there was nothing. And three weeks later there was still NOTHING, only a few little weeds. It was an epic gardening fail!

I was so disappointed. How could absolutely nothing sprout?!? They’re wildflowers for pete’s sake. They’re supposed to grow anywhere…right?!? Wrong!  I had failed to prepare the plot well. The dirt was not good. It was home to weeds, grass clippings, some trash, pine needles, lots of dried clay and lacked nutrients.  All the wishful thinking in the world was not going to turn that mess into soil that would grow something.

Take 2.  I went to the store and bought more seeds.  I thought the free ones must have been faulty (enter 2^nd set of eyerolls). I went back out to my little plot of dirt with the pitchfork again to go deeper, wider and more thorough. You know kind of like the  doc does on a suspicious spot. This time I turned the dirt over down to about a foot deep.  I discovered there was a lot more trash hiding under the dirt that needed to be removed. I was a human tiller. I picked out more rocks from golf ball size to pecan size and threw them into the river rock bedding.  I used all the leftover plant fertilizer in our garage (yes, I was trying to do this on the cheap) and turned it into the dirt hoping it would become soil.

I carefully planted all the seeds in little holes at the appropriate depth for each type of seed and covered them with dirt. Then the watering and praying started.  Two and a half weeks later the first sprouts came up.  I was thrilled. No matter what something was trying to grow there and even if only 1 flower came up it was better than absolutely nothing.  Over the next weeks more sprouts showed up and a few weeds.  And now two and a half months later I have beautiful sunflowers, budding colorful cosmos, several other flowering plants, and a couple of weeds growing in my little wildflower garden.

I felt redeemed.  I should have known better. Lack of preparation would result in poor outcomes. Hmmm…there must be a lesson in here 😉.  It’s happened before. Getting an injury when you haven’t trained for an event. Blowing a gig when you didn’t practice.  Canceling an event when folks don’t register.  And sometimes even when we prepare, things turnout differently than we imagine – ask any programmer, engineer, chef, etc.

Failure is a part of life. Failure is what happens when we try. Success is what happens when we keep trying and utilize different methods, ask for help, get a new perspective, and use better fertilizer.  An epic failure is a steppingstone, makes for a good story, and gives you a lesson to learn and share. Epic fails are also great opportunities for connection because everyone has one and when enough time has passed, they good for a few laughs too. 

August is weird.  There are no fancy holidays, nothing to decorate or dress up for.  It’s best known for “back to school” days and buying school supplies.  After helping our daughter move back to college, it should be national “make a transition” month. Kids all over the country are transitioning into new grades, new lives, new responsibilities, just a whole bunch of new.  And new can be scary and inviting.  Some folks get excited for all new pencils, notebooks and other supplies, while others get excited for seeing old friends and making new ones. For some the transition is overwhelming…too much new and not enough familiar and we don’t talk about this part as much.

Parents and caregivers of all types are also experiencing transitions. Preschoolers headed to kindergarten, 5^th or 6^th graders migrating to middle school, 9^th graders jumping into high school, and recent HS grads moving into college, trade school, full-time work and life as an adult or just trying to figure out what they want to do when they grow up. I remember when my son was starting kindergarten at the public school, I knew he was ready to take it by storm because he had already done kindergarten at his daycare albeit as a youngster. His transition was relatively easy and so was mine, but there were parents who were crying like babies when the classroom door closed. Fast forward twelve years and that was me when he left for college.

It can be as overwhelming as it is natural.  What we seldom talk about is the slew of emotions that go with each of these transitions both for the caregivers and the kid experiencing it.  There is typically some grief and uncertainty along with the excitement of opportunity and possibility.  We have to let go of something to make room for the opportunity for the next or new thing.

We adults may be going through transitions too. Experiencing what it’s like to be empty nesters (aka bird launchers) for the first time. Do we remember how to be a couple without the kids around? What will we talk about? What will we do with the extra time? Do we still enjoy doing stuff together?  We may be transitioning from part-time to full-time work, starting a new job or career, or considering retirement.

I believe we need to learn how to prepare for, experience and reflect on these transitions better and know that it’s normal. Can we make time to acknowledge what we will miss about the previous state of things? Can we identify all the different emotions that we’re experiencing related to the change and not just the “to-do” list to prepare for it? Can we acknowledge the excitement and anticipation along with the fear and uncertainty and that they are all normal?  Can we reflect on what we’ve learned, skills we’ve acquired, joy we’ve experienced, and mourn things we’ll miss? It’s just as important as the excitement we feel for what’s coming or the anxiety we have about the unknown.

What’s the transition you’re experiencing right now? What are you doing to  anticipate, prepare, experience and reflect?  How are you planning to endure and wade through the water of the unknown as you find your bearings?  And how are you helping and encouraging a kiddo, teen or loved one going through a transition too?  We’ve got this…especially when we take the time to share it with others going through it too. 

It’s August…what else have we got to do?!? 😉 Have a great Labor Day weekend!

How often do we have ideas and then not act on them? How often does the beautiful gem of an idea enter our brains then [squirrel]…poof it’s gone. 

Several months ago, I ran into a colleague at an art fair where he was exhibiting his work and began chatting about how long it had been since we connected.  It had been at a collaborative walk hosted by his organization and several others. I told him we should gather several of our colleagues and do something like that during the Summer. A seed was planted.

A couple days later I was emailing the co-conspirators I had in mind to see if they might be on board with collaborating on an event that would bring folks together across sectors to slowdown, walk, engage and gather in the park to connect with nature and each other. The hope would be to plant some seeds of partnership and collaboration across those folks to benefit the community members that they might collectively be serving.  As luck would have it…they all said yes!

I was not going to let this idea go unacted upon.  We gathered the week prior to the event to create a plan for the afternoon knowing we were making a plan, not a promise to our attendees.  We wanted to create an opportunity for things to flow, for people to engage and for conversations and nature to take their natural course.

This past week that beautiful gem of an idea came to fruition. Over 30 folks signed up online to attend, 20 folks showed up at the park on a beautiful, albeit quite hot, Colorado day and we strolled together amongst the trees, birds, lake and dirt.  We had three facilitators, each willing to share their knowledge and expertise about moving unhurried, connecting with the trees, offering opportunities to plant seeds of collaboration across sectors, inviting conversations around simple prompts, and  creating art and stories from our own experiences to share with our new colleagues. 

We circled back to our starting point and moved inside to share insights and some final thoughts. It was remarkable how our idea blossomed into reality and had impacts that we hoped for but didn’t quite expect.  One attendee shared how she came to an epiphany that she could both be outdoors, move at her own pace, experience the beauty of nature and feel closer to her family who were quick movers in the outdoors. She was moved to tears and I was in awe.

We followed up the event with a networking social (aka healthy happy hour) at a local brewhouse for those who desired to continue conversations and connect could do so. It’s amazing what seeds can be planted over a beverage or two. 😊

Now it’s your turn. Embrace that idea that’s bubbling in your brain and reach out. Maybe your proposed co-conspirators will say yes, if they don’t, find some more. Invite others to help you expand your idea. Feed and nurture it so it can pop out into life like a flower. Your beautiful gem of an idea may be the next wonderful experience that makes an incredible impact on those you serve. 

Every month I have calendar invite that reminds me to write a blog. Sometimes I have something in mind and other times I have to work at it and really think about what I want to share and how I want to connect with you. I’m typically uncertain what it may look like until I sit at the computer and start letting it flow.  As an example, this blog came to me while I was in the shower. 😊

As an entrepreneur, I’m in it to help people find solutions to and solve problems that are impacting their organization, profession, or community.  I hope that my efforts will be embraced, applied, and put into action.  I believe in what I do 100% to make a positive impact, yet there is uncertainty. Will the client put in the time, effort, and energy?

When I’m hired as a speaker and take the stage or the floor, I hope the message I share resonates with not only with the person or committee that hired me but with the audience that I’m standing in front of.  There is always a certain degree of uncertainty.

As a parent, the uncertainty begins as soon as they leave the womb.  What does their future hold? The only certainty comes from what we as parents choose to put forth – love, compassion, energy, patience, time, boundaries, support, hugs and some cashola (and more moolah does not equate to more certainty). As the kids grow into young adults, the only thing you can be certain of is what you put into it. Eventually the kiddo must take the reins and make their choices for how they want their life to proceed. 

When planning for retirement, or investing in general, uncertainty is always present. You make investments around your tolerance for risk and uncertainty in products and companies that you believe in or have a good feeling about. You do your due diligence to work with someone with more expertise than you to help guide you through the process. Your investments, even while in multiple baskets, are still left to the uncertainties of fluctuating economics which no psychic or economist can predict.

For the past 3 weeks I have been in the throws of uncertainty around my health. I’ve had my fair share of interesting health concerns from concussion, hip surgery to repair a torn labrum, and chronic bladder infections to name a few.  As humans, there are a huge variety of ways our bodies experience injury, illness, disease, and trauma. There are also a huge variety of ways that we experience health, physically, socially, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  When I started experiencing a variety of symptoms that didn’t make since to me and were interfering in the way I would prefer to live life, I went to the doctor.  I was grateful to have a doctor who listened, asked good questions and was willing to run tests. Because we were all uncertain about what I was experiencing.  Ok, my husband and I were more uncertain than she was. I’m thinking she was working to eliminate other possibilities.

I participated in some unusual and typical tests.  The MRI for my brain left me with great uncertainty over the weekend. What might they find? Or will they find everything is just fine? Then more uncertainty about what’s going on? Ack!! It’s a never-ending circle.  My brain went nuts with the uncertainty and the possibilities. How would I tell our kids? How is my life going to change?  Honestly, I just wanted a large cocktail and to forget about it until the results came back, but I’d gone a hiatus from booze for 4 weeks and I was sticking to it. Uncertainty be damned.

What I’ve learned is that life is full of uncertainty. At every crossroads, every big decision, every leap of faith, every risk to put yourself out there, in every dream and every worry.  For those of us with control issues, yeah, I’m looking at myself, it’s even more challenging. Sometimes I envy those people who can leave it up to the universe or God or a higher power of choice to take care of.  I haven’t really been one of those people. Uncertainty is something you can certainly count on…see what I did there. 😉 I’m pretty sure “uncertainty” is “change’s” cousin, you can count on both.

Now I’m staring down the diagnosis of something I’m wholly unfamiliar with. Something only .2% (yeah there’s a point in front of that 2) of the population gets to deal with, live with, manage, have part of their person, suffer with, be impacted by, annoyed with, challenged by…you get the idea.

Don’t get me wrong I’m grateful to be out of the uncertainty of knowing what’s going on. I’ve just moved on to the uncertainty of treatment options, how it’s experienced differently by people also diagnosed with it, how it’s invisible, and how it might impact the quality of my life.  What I do know is that I’m in charge of and in control of making those choices and while I can’t control the outcome, what I can control is my attitude, actions and what I choose to put forth for myself…love, compassion, energy, patience, time, support, hope, and well, probably some cashola.  If you can embrace the suck and still be hopeful, you can embrace the uncertainty.