Set the date

I learned something at the National Meeting last week.  Actually, I learned a lot of things but some stand out more than others such as the company's view on the hierarchy of importance - Company, Division/Department then YOU. Goes against last year's theme of "Its All About You" dont you think. I'm sure this can be taken different ways but we'll save that for another blog.

One of the sessions that I signed up for was "Take This Job and Love It". As you can probably guess it was a motivational type class. Yes, if you dont like what you are doing you really should find what you are passionate about it and do that instead. Save that for another topic.

There was a part in that 2 hours where the speaker brought up something that we can all relate to. More often than not, this usually happens once or twice a year.  You get together with close friends or family members and at the end of that evening, party or whatever the social event is; someone is bound to say, "This has been a lot of fun. Let's do this again soon."  Everyone agrees. A few weeks pass, then a month and before you know it an entire year has gone by.

The key is to set the date. Don't wait for everyone to check their schedule so you all can agree on a date. That could take weeks, even months, maybe even never. We've all been there. Set the date before everyone leaves. I have to agree with that. If there is a standing date instead of planning for one later, most people will often remember.  Its kind of like signing up for a class. This class meets every 3rd Thursday.  You plan to attend those Thursday classes and work everything else around it.  Nothing wrong with being spontaneous, but it just seems that when there is a solid date and time most people will show. Dont wait too long to set a date.

I took that little bit of advice a bit further. I'm scheduling my "Me" time. Not daily, thats just too much. Twice a month with a solid reading hour just for me. If it means rushing a shower after a treadmill run and sitting over at the cafe to read for an hour on a Sunday, than thats what it is.