The Monday Morning Mash-Up – Trainwrecks, Pockets, and the New Year
Happy New Year! Now that we have a few days of space between us and 2014, let me ask you: how would you rate it? Are there some areas of opportunity or did you accomplish what you wanted? No matter which it is, though, you get another chance. This year, 2015, is the one that matters. One of the best and worst parts of performing as a musician was that every song had an ending. When you had a song that was hopelessly off course and everything was going horribly wrong (we called those trainwrecks), you knew it would eventually be over. There was always a chance for redemption in the next song. And as a drummer, sometimes I would find … [Read more...]
And We’re Back at the Beginning
In the closing days of 2014, are you looking back at the year that passed or are you looking forward into the next? I've found that most people do one or the other. They rehash the previous year, the good or the bad. And they rate themselves on how it went. Or they plan out the upcoming year, with goals, resolutions, and dreams. Sometimes, in a fit of introspective intensity, they do both! Which is better? I'm sitting at my desk, thinking about what I want 2015 to look like and the goals of 2014 that I hit (wrote a book) and missed (did not learn Spanish fluently). And I realized that the analysis of the past and the dreaming of … [Read more...]
The 7-Minute Personal Business Plan for Next Year
With the end of the year here, everyone is putting the finishing touches on (or scrambling to start) their plans for 2013. Whether it's for yourself, your family, or your company, putting some thought into what you want to accomplish in the new year is an incredibly useful exercise. Most of us, though, struggle to find the time to take a time-out and plan. It can be especially difficult to find time for our personal goals (because, let's face it, if no one is expecting it from us, it's easy to push it off). So here's a way to create a useful business plan to help guide your career next year. It ill only take you 7 minutes to complete … [Read more...]