The Year Ahead: 2017

What a year 2016 was! So much occurred this past year — some great events and some real challenges to each of us and maybe even humanity. So what else is new? How do we reconcile all of it? Or do we even have to?

We are all living out our lives, our journeys, our paths, and our adventures guided by ideas of what we think we want or should want. Sometimes events occur and we feel like we are on Cloud 9 and the joy is palpable; other times, the disappointments causes us great pain. But the wins are the same as the loses: It’s just an outcome in a moment of time. And so, we keep moving forward with our vision and execute what needs to get done. That is why we are here: To create a vision and then make it real. If it doesn’t work out then we shift, we change, we pivot. We just keep moving forward.

It’s fascinating how this all works. Create an idea or a vision, design a plan to execute on that idea, and then start working at it. There is no failure in any of this, just hard learning sometimes. You may get stumped or blocked at a certain junction, but that is just another message that something, some question that you asked or solution you proposed, was not the right one. Regroup, rethink and go forward. Isn’t life wonderful?

The creation process is ever unfolding. If it was easy, everyone would be an expert and get all things done instantly. Life is not work, it is life. And, just as an artist tries many times to capture his feeling or vision, or a chef has to taste numerous variations of his creations before getting it right, we keep refining our craft. Building a business requires many tries, and even more when creating something that has never been built before. Let experience be a guide of what not to do (the failures) and what has worked before (the successes), but don’t assume the past is an indicator of the future. Life, as is business, is a dynamic process, always be adapting to perceived changes. 

I didn’t fail. I’ve just found 10,000 ways it won’t work. 

Thomas Edison’s famous quote is very pertinent. Many of us are trying to find solutions to our world’s pressing problems and are trying new approaches. Many will fail, some will work. With patience and persistence, we can solve these problems. The journey of our lives and our existence is amazing, and our role is to be creators on this planet. Try to better yourself, your family, your business, and this planet in all its facets.   

So let’s get busy and find solutions to the ever dynamic landscape and have a blast doing it. Welcome to a great big new 2017!