Snowflakes

My year started in the snow:  Zurich enjoyed a little surprise snow and ice storm in the early evening that kept me at home on New Year's Eve.  I finally journeyed out January 1st on a beautiful sunny morning to spend the day with friends (where I should have been the night before!).

Now I'm hibernating.  Nearly literally.  Slept more than 10 hours each of the last three nights.

Normally, I would take one of these snowy days to walk in the mountains.  But instead, I have this feeling that I need total relaxation and space for myself.  Warmth and blankets in my own place.

By tomorrow, we will all be back to work.  Our holiday conversations always included speculation about what the year will bring.  This is the second major economic downturn of my adult career.  The first one brought both challenges and personal growth - maturity - to learn how to make decisions for the longer term.  No one knows what this one will bring. I just know I need to take it with a steady pace, flexibility and somewhat stubbornly persistent optimism in the face of gloom.

I wrote my 2009 goals using a process that has helped me for the last decade.  I read through all of my 2008 journals, then listed about five lessons learned.  I looked over my goals from last year to see how they worked (if I achieved them AND if they were the right goals in the end).  I did OK really.  In fact, I'd say 2008 was one of my more full years in terms of strong personal and professional development. I noticed that it started with some of my most stressful - and high work load - challenges in a while.  Perhaps some of the good feeling includes the reward of having overcome hurdles.

My goals always focus on what I will do new or different. (I assume, for example, that I will still jog regularly and be sure to take vacations - old goals from previous years that are now habits).  There are never more than five (any more is a list, not a set of priorities).  Here they are in short form:

1. Launch a program in my business that I've dreamed of now for a while. It will be the most high-risk step so far because it is new and will not bring in quick cash.  But it's where my passion tells me to go. 

2. Plus, we'll aim for the next year of steady progress with my largest client, working with and building the team that is a genuine pleasure every day in the office

3. Reach 200 members in PWG of Zurich with all that entails

4. Be more creative with meaningful little gestures for my friends

5. Return to playing golf after a five year lull.  (Next after golf: learning how documentary films are made)

So, you can see that hibernation for me is not exactly inactive.  It's time to watch the snow fly and ponder quietly a little.  The New Year came in on a soft, swirling snowflake as during the first silent hours of a snowstorm, before the snowplows take over.