According to the some, 2012 is the year in which we all call it day. As the Mayans never really said such a thing, the chances of this happening are quite slim. But just imagine for a moment that all the doomsday prophets are right and that in less than a year the South Pole decides to take a holiday somewhere near the Equator.
Apart from the obvious death, despair and heartbreak that would go with such an event, it would also make the 2012 plan you’re working on right now the last you’ll ever work on. Your legacy. The sum of what you stand for.
So when you look at this plan, would you want it to be the one that defines you? Is it the one in which you improve life for your customers, renews and accelerates the growth of your business and makes the world a slightly better place? Or is it a cut and paste from the ones that have gone before? A plan who’s biggest achievement is that it maintains the status quo and – in time – makes you rise to that next step on the career ladder.
If the latter is the case, I’m not asking you to throw it out and start over. Though I do suggest that you introduce one first element which you believe will really make a difference. And you make a resolution to fight for this when Q3 budget cuts come calling. Even though this may sound futile and even scary, your little act of defiance towards habit will inspire others, and before you know it a movement could emerge.
After all, the world won’t end in 2012. But by taking a first step, you can make it change.
Happy 2012 … Make it matter.
