Getting deep and meaningful

At this time of year I tend to ponder the meaning of life, the universe and everything.

In particular, as I look back on 2007 and ahead to 2008, I'll be asking myself whether I'm making enough of a difference. Having the chance to make a difference to people, whether it's IC folk, leaders or employees, is why I do what I do.  So I'll look how well I'm measuring up to my values and whether there are things I should change.

Stopping to remind myself what this is all about always refocuses me and makes me that bit better and sharper. During this year I've been jolted into taking stock a few times - both for inspirational reasons and for a sad one.

In February, my grandfather died. A few days later, my IT systems collapsed too. I lost everything on my laptop - documents, email, contacts, calendar - and then my web domain packed up. Sometimes life has a way of totally stopping you in your tracks. I bumbled about in quite a mess (practically and emotionally) for a while. I remember picking up my grandad's belongings from the nursing home and thinking to myself 'so this is what it comes to. What am I making of life while I have it?' I also thought about how I would remember him, and how I would want people people to remember me. 

On a more positive note ...

I've been inspired by other people to question myself. For one, I've had the pleasure of dining out with Bill Quirke twice this year. He is still the person I admire and respect most in this industry. I would love to be as insightful, and to have his skill at connecting with a room of people, making the complex simple and bringing concepts to life. Whenever I spend time with Bill I end up thinking "how can I be better?"

For another, I'm going to embarrass someone now, but Paul Diggins of TMobile, when you talked at dinner about why you do your job and the difference you want to make, I thought "you are SO in the right job. That's the level of passion I want to feel about mine, too. Do I?"

And finally, I refer you to Mr Les Potter. This year, I discovered his blog. Through it, I have come to understand how much of himself he puts into his work and how much he loves what he does.  Students of mass communication at Towson University, you have one amazing professor. He inspires the heck out of me.

So ...

...in between collapsing in a relieved heap as you switch off your work PC for the last time and starting it up again either reinvigorated or depressed in January, take a chance to take stock. It's easy to go through the motions. Work can turn into an endless round of meetings and churning stuff out, and sometimes you lose sight of why you're doing it in the first place. We spend so much of our lives working. Might as well make it meaningful for you, and for all those people in your organisations you connect with.

Have a really lovely festive break. See you in 2008.

Sue

Comments

[Jeroen]

Hi Sue,

well you've made a difference in my life today because I didn't know the expression 'to take stock' yet, but now I do and it's exactly what I've been doing in the last few days. I've realised two things. One, even though most of the time you can feel like nothing's really happening and you're just going through the motions, when you look back, you see that so much can happen and change in a year. This just makes me incredibly curious about what's waiting for me in the year to come! Two: learning a new expression may sound like it's not a big deal, but I've come to learn that happiness lies in appreciating small, apparently trivial things you experience throughout the day. I know this is a real cliché but that doesn't make it less true. Sure, I'm still waiting for The Big Thing To Happen as you of course know from reading my blog, but in the meanwhile I'm enjoying every small victory in life.
P.S. Check your mail! ;-)

[Les Potter]

My dear Sue, you honor me with your words. I am deeply touched by what you said. Thank you. I will try to live up to what you say of me.

I am so blessed that we found each other via blogging, then Facebook. I began my blog in January of 2007 mainly to learn about social media by being an active, if novice, participant. But among the learning was finding and cultivating a treasured friendship. That would be you, Sue. I look forward to sharing our journey in 2008.

My warmest and highest regards,
Les

[Sue]

Jeroen - thanks for the mail! And you're so right. Some time on new year's eve I always look back through my diary for the year and write up how things have changed. They have always changed an awful lot, even if I hadn't realised how much was moving around at the time.

I agree with you on the small things too. Regular readers will probably know I tend to battle with work/life balance, and this year I'm promising myself small things like 7 hours sleep every night, a 2 week holiday somewhere I'd really love to go and a night out dancing every week.

Les, I started out as a social media cynic but thanks to new friends, new inspirations and old friends now reconnected, I am totally converted. I look forward to sharing our journey in 2008, too.