What Are You Looking Forward To?

What are you looking forward to? Tiffani R. Brown, a new friend, fabulous interim executive and super smart human, asked me this in a conversation last week.

I'm not going to lie, it took me a second to come up with something.
In truth, I have so much to look forward to.

But this time of year - juggling back to school for our kids, important client engagements, lots of volunteer commitments, and two recently added pet family members (Kiwi, a juvenile bearded dragon & Nova, a 2-year-old rescue pup) - I've definitely found myself in "getting things done" mode more than "looking forward to" mode.

Over 20+ years of supporting executive leaders, I've seen this same phenomenon play out, too - especially with experienced leaders who've been at this work a while.

When there's so much to do - and, really, there's always so much to do - looking forward with anticipation can fall by the wayside.

And that's a problem, because it saps our stamina and may mean we're losing sight of our purpose, or what we're trying to accomplish.

The details are important. But when we're constantly head down, looking at the map (or plan), we forget to look up, take in the view, and actually see what lies ahead.

Zooming out, reflecting, and genuinely thinking about what we're looking forward to can help us design stronger strategies, make better choices, find more joy, and create a bigger impact.

So, in the spirit of practicing what I preach, here are three things I'm looking forward to both personally and professionally in the coming weeks and months:

→ Today & Tomorrow: Getting my Working Genius Certification. I'm excited about using this practical, actionable framework to support the executive teams we work with in creating a stronger understanding of how their strengths & talents fit together and apply to their day-to-day work.

→ Next Week: Spending some time in Paris with Steven LaFemina. I can't wait to see one of our favorite new artists in concert and to enjoy beautiful walks and bike rides, take in the art & sights, and eat delicious food.

→ This Fall: Doing great work with great people. I'm looking forward to kicking off new projects with returning clients, welcoming new ones, and successfully supporting a long-term client through an important transitional period.

Now it's your turn. What are you looking forward to this fall? Join the conversation on Linkedin.