Looking ahead to 2024, and closing out 2023

• find a new path with purpose—one where you define what success means to you.
• discover what energizes you, and using that to guide you towards a more fulfilling and sustainable life.
• translate that clarity into goals for 2024 and beyond.
• understand how you and others might be blocking your progress towards those goals, and what you can do about it.
• design experiments and new behaviors that will create professional growth and personal transformation.

• If you have been holding off on reading the book, or procrastinating on doing the exercises (as several readers have shared with me), this is your chance to join an accountability group to get the benefit of the learnings in the book.
• If you've been wondering what it's like to work with me, this is an affordable introduction to my coaching, as I will be answering questions and offering coaching feedback each week to participants.

• In addition to the Ukraine war continuing, we now have the hostilities and atrocities in the Gaza strip and Israel.
• The US government seems more dysfunctional than ever, as the MAGA Republicans seem intent on stopping the government from doing anything.
• For those of us in the tech industry, it's been a year of continued layoffs and budget pressures. I definitely felt it in my business, as people weren't ready to commit to the investment of coaching when there's so much uncertainty.
• Inequity and exclusion continue to rise, as companies feel they can't afford to invest in DEI despite the evidence that equity and inclusion lead to better results.

• Please do write a review if you read the book, as getting past 100 Amazon reviews will create greater credibility with potential buyers and with the Amazon algorithm.

• I created a Spotify playlist with all of my book-related podcast appearances if you want to get more of my voice into your ears over the holidays.
• That list includes two new podcast episode releases, with Daryll Henrich and Kristin Maczko on their podcast Your Self at Work, available on YouTube, Apple or Spotify, and with Roberta Ndlela on her Speaking and Communicating podcast, available on YouTube, Apple or Spotify.

• How could this work? It's easy to see why a new possibility won't work, but if we succumb to that default, we never do anything new. Instead, ask yourself "What would it take to make this work?" or "This could work if..." and see if that changes your perspective on what to do next.
• Who do you blame when things go wrong? I tend to blame myself. Some people tend to blame others. Others blame the world or systemic structures. All of these stances are incomplete, as causation is complex and includes elements of each of these. Instead of locking into any of these blaming options, we can take responsibility for our actions (and only our actions), and make new choices to try to create new outcomes. It means letting go of blame, and focusing solely on what you will do next to change the outcomes you are getting.
• Fire fighting or fire prevention? Fire fighting is exciting and gratifying - you get the adrenaline rush and immediate positive feedback for saving the day. Fire prevention is often overlooked because nothing happens - the problems were prevented before they even became apparent. Appreciate the people who do the quiet, unsung work of fire prevention.
• What do you want to change? When invited to give feedback, many people just complain about what happened in the past. That may feel good in the moment, but doesn't change anything. Effective feedback is about the future, creating targeted behavior change that is motivating to the recipient.

• Feeling Connected Makes Us Kind, by Nadine Lueras-Tramma in Greater Good magazine, sharing research that being reminded of community and close connections led to helping others. "These findings suggest that helping people connect with others doesn’t only benefit their own health and well-being but could benefit society as a whole." (hat tip to Experience Institute for the link)
• The Essential Skills for Being Human, by David Brooks. "People want to connect. Above almost any other need, human beings long to have another person look into their faces with love and acceptance. The issue is that we lack practical knowledge about how to give one another the attention we crave." He offers examples of "illluminators" who "shine the brightness of their care on people and make them feel bigger, respected, lit up."
• Spend your time doing what you want to do, a Twitter thread by Patrick OShaugnessy, in the spirit of connecting to oneself: "The best long term fuel source is some repeated act that energizes you in a way that then lets you become a generative person, who uses the energy to make things for others. A great question is "what is your renewable fuel source?"