A random boulder on the side of the trail passed by countless trail users has become an outdoor studio. One day, an individual decided to stack some smaller rocks on top of the boulder, and others followed, inspired by the work. Now it is a collection of mini-carins.
We never know when our work will resonate. So launch projects that are authentic to our values and be proud if it is a one-off or creates a movement.
What would you say if you had sixty seconds to share why a good acquaintance should join a cause you are supporting? Would you talk about the benefits of being a supporter, the impact to those who receive the services, the problems solved, or the emotional feeling of serving with purpose? Do you have numbers prepared to demonstrate impact, a story that amplifies the organization’s work, or a pitch about how essential your friend’s role would be in the cause?
In my experience, there is no perfect persuasion. I have been told that for every hour of my service, there is a higher likelihood that another individual will obtain greater health/education/safety/higher earnings. I have been told that every dollar I commit will be doubled or exponentially matched. I have been told that this group needs my talents and is ready to launch. I have been told stories that the storyteller cannot finish because they get choked up. I have been shown charts and graphs that make an essential case for support.
Sometimes I say yes; sometimes, I say no. It may be about the enterprise; it may be about me; it may be about my affinity for the asker or the individuals being served. It may be the level of commitment demonstrated by the board and staff. I have attended meetings thinking I am committed to saying yes, and the request to enroll significantly concerned me. I have attended meetings as a courtesy with no intention of signing up and found myself completely embedded in the work that matters.
Sixty seconds and no certainty that our request to join the cause will resonate. But if we believe, we ask and are comfortable with the results. What if we ask authentically and celebrate an convincing answer?
What are keystone indicators that track the health of your ecosystem? In nature, the well-being of certain species has a high correlation to the overall ecosystems vitality.
What keystone barometer help us track the viability of our enterprise? Is it a key set of KPIs. A high net promoter score among donors and board members? The number of acres conserved and dollars raised?
Or is it the quality of the insights and guidance that people provide to set us up for success?
How might we be more insightful in tracking the health of our cause? How might we measure what matters?
We need a prompt to share our successes. It is human nature to focus on the problems that remain in front of us and continue to capture our focus.
What is your list of problems solved in 2022?
Riding a bike across a swinging cable bridge creates movement on the deck, amplified by the inputs from the rider. Add more cyclists to the same bridge span, and the journey gets more energetic. Navigating the span becomes increasingly more challenging (and exhilarating) with more inputs.
For others, leaping from a bridge attached to a bungee cord is a thrill, and it provides the rush of adventure and a state of free fall that is not customary to the human lifecycle. There are fewer inputs for a bungee jumper, and removing constraints makes it remarkable.
The impact of variables and inputs creates different journeys and feedback. How might we amplify our journey by seeking higher-quality inputs? Let’s be clear about which variables we hope to leverage.
Two mindsets, journey and destination, one focuses on the landscape we inhabit, and the second focuses on the finish line.
Both are essential perspectives to maintain. Being hyper-focused on the destination might lead us off a cliff, into a swamp, or miss the spectacular view corridors. Enveloped in the journey mindset, we might spend the night outside without proper gear since we failed to assess the time required to reach the shelter.
As we prepare to navigate a new year, consider the mindsets we wish to assume as we venture into 2023. A new year is a season of goal setting; however, goals without purpose and context often leave us feeling empty. How might we embrace the journey while making measurable progress toward a destination that matters? How might we know more tomorrow than we do today because the route we traveled revealed insights when we seek out destinations that are not easy to reach?
Sometimes serendipity creates the best moments. I asked for a photo of my son during a sunset hike in the local foothills and he delivered an unconventional response. I will remember this photo more than many other family sunset moments because it is unique. A one of a kind.
We are often remembered for what makes us unique because it is easier to categorize the memory’s of those who know us. We can create the frame to capture our individual approach or we can try to hide in the background. It is a choice.
If you dedicated a few days to doing new things, what might you try? What would be the impact? What is stopping us from investing 5-minutes in a new thing?
Future me benefits when current me acts thoughtfully. Before a trip, I might make the bed with fresh sheets, clean, and leave a reasonable supply of food for my return. Current me might unpack my bag completely and leave items in easy-to-find locations so future me can pack without stress for the next adventure. Current me can wax skis, clean bikes, dry out muddy running shoes, place new batteries in the headlamp, and repair a small leak in the tent, so future me launches with a higher degree of success and enjoyment.
What actions and decisions can your current team make that would set up the future team for a higher degree of impact? How often has a topic or barrier been raised that never gets resolved, knowing it will ultimately be decided once it is an emergency (burning platform)? Have you served an organization that inherited disruptions that could have been avoided by the team that proceeded your tenure? What if your gift to the board/staff/members that follow is to wrestle with the obstacles they will encounter? Even if we cannot make definitive progress, we can leave a record of how we tried to iterate and what succeeded and failed.
My hope is that current you assumes a force for good mindset so future you can focus on the work that matters.
Do the details add depth, dimension, or distraction to your journey? Do the activities engage you in a slalom, a barrier, or a brute force exercise? Do you see the individuals within the cluster, or are their commonalities so blended that they all appear the same?
We must make snap judgments and assumptions to navigate our daily wanderings. What is worthy of further evaluation, and what do we navigate in subconscious mode? One of the benefits of encountering a place from multiple directions is we might find a perspective that benefits from further investigation and comprehension.
What-if-concepts 