I fell in love with computers in 1984. At the time I was in the Navy stationed overseas and our dental clinic was issued a computer. It was a Toshiba T-100 but nobody knew how to use it. Or what we could use it for. Fortunately, there was a Corpsman in the medical clinic that was computer-literate and showed me how to use it. I then bought my first computer, an Apple IIC which I mastered and then bought what was supposed to be the “last computer I will ever need,” which was a PC with a monochrome monitor and a 20MB hard drive. I even had the dual floppy drives which made copying stuff easy. Because I knew my way around a computer, I was always called upon to fix computer problems.
Fixing computers as it turned out was simple. Most issues were be fixed through a simple reboot. Just turn the computer off and turn it back on. I often wished other problems were that easy to fix. A reboot can be your best friend.
Reboots are the new ways movie studios are simultaneously fleecing audiences while demonstrating a complete lack of creativity. I’ve lost track of all the different Batman, Superman, Spiderman, and Hulk movies. A reboot in Hollywood is a way to prolong and squeeze money out of something that should have been left for dead. A reboot is sometimes NOT necessary in entertainment.
A reboot is what many of us are looking to do next year. In this context, a reboot means to make a change in something in order to establish a new beginning. This is what we do when we establish resolutions or a “word of the year.”
Our word of the year is REBOOT. We spent most of the last few years surviving the pandemic and the radical changes we made in order to stay in business. Our workshops moved mostly to online and we implemented drawing into them to keep them engaging. We tweaked our conference topics. We streamlined our processes.
But it’s often like what happens to your phone when you add on too many apps or don’t do the system updates. Your phone bogs down. And so, before you go to the Verizon store to drop $1,000 on a new phone, you try rebooting it and it works perfectly. The new apps, patches, and updates get locked in with the reboot and you’re back in business.
That’s our goal this year. To take all the lessons COVID taught us and reboot what we have already been doing into our normal way of doing business. You’ll see some evidence of this in the coming months.
But what about you?
We are two weeks away from the end of the year. Have you thought about what next year will be like? Are you prepared to accomplish new, exciting goals? If so, then why not consider a reboot? Here’s a suggestion on how to start:
- Set some goals for the new year. Some short term, long term, and even some goals big enough to get people to roll their eyes over.
- Look at your scoreboard. What were your wins and losses for the year? You may be amazed to see just how many wins you had! Start with those.
- Identify the resources you’ll need to achieve them. Training? Network connections? Coaches? Line those up on your calendar.
- Set some check points throughout the year that you can measure progress against.
- Surround yourself with encouraging and helpful people.
And then…
- Launch!
Think of that moment you restart your phone after a system update. Imagine the anticipation of what your phone screen will look like. Think about the new capabilities you will have.
But nothing happens without the reboot.
You have to shut down and restart to get the gift.
With two weeks left, put the plan together and then after Christmas, try to shut down. Recharge yourself and then “turn it on” on January 2!
I’m looking forward to a rebooted year that has NO EXCUSES. I hope you are too.
See you in 2023!