Strategic Serendipity

 I love New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.  They hold such promise, enthusiasm, and hope.  2020 was not as bad for me as for so many in the world.  After losing my dad in 2018 and my mom in 2019, the worst thing 2020 gave me was frustration and worry.  And for that I am very thankful.  But that doesn’t mean that the dreams don’t start to build this time of year.   As I was planning this year, I wanted to make sure I wasn't rushing forward too fast.  As the single mother of a nine-year old, we most likely will not be doing that big Disney/Harry Potter trip we had planned in 2021.  And that is okay.  But there are a lot of things I can do to build (or build on) good habits.   So here it is, my 2021 New Year's Resolutions.  Watch here to see if I succeed! Take 100 beautiful pictures .  This is a self-indulgent, self-care item.  My 2018 began with my son being admitted to the hospital and ended with my father's ...

I learned something the other day watching my 20 month old son learning how to climb a small rock climbing wall.  There is a reason it is good to start at the bottom - you have less room to fall and it is so much easier to get back up when you do. The same can be said about the business world.  I hear people talking about younger generations in the workforce "wanting to run the organization their first week."  Suffice it to say, they simply feel like their skills are not being fully utilized, but that is for another article. This article is for people of any age starting a new career.  Appreciate the fact that you get to learn from the ground up.  Just like a child playing on a rock climbing wall, you are going to slip every now and then.  In the business world, it is called "failing forward" and it is a legitimate form of adult learning.  In fact, on-the-job experience is actually the most effective way for adults to learn. Experiment with new...

You've seen them in front of your grocery stores.  In DC, they even stand at the top of the escalator of the subway after work.  When you are weak.  When just a little chocolate will go a long way to washing away the hassles of the day.  And that price, $4 a box.  Really, it is a good cause, just keep the extra dollar.  (You know you've done it!)  As I sit here eating my Thin Mints I am looking at the side of the box.  It says: The Girl Scout Cookie Program Selling Girl Scout Cookies helps girls develop 5 skills that they use throughout their lives: 1.  Goal Setting 2.  Decision Making 3.  Money Management 4.  People Skills 5.  Business Ethics Now I was a Girl Scout, in 4-H, and in Junior Achievement throughout my youth and I can tell you that they are all excellent organizations with amazing and lifelong leadership lessons.  But as I sit here wondering if I can really open that box of Tagalongs before the ...