Wishing Well

If you knew your wishes could come true in reality - so much so that you could practically feel them happening almost immediately - what would you wish for in your CAREER and life? Perhaps you would wish for a new business partner or soul mate. Or, would it be new office space, a bigger home, a more up-to-date computer or a sportscar? Would you wish for abundance, freedom and joy? What are you wishing for now? And what would it take for everyone to have what they wish for?

Annually, Ritualistically

I start each year thinking this year is it! Yes, this year, I will operate with integrity everywhere. Business will flourish as Agile Rainmakers onboards high-growth clients who are extraordinary, coachable, and really fun to WORK with. With my FAMILY and friends, there will be harmony. My health and well-being will reach a new crest for a spry man in his mid-50’s. This year, I will learn more than ever before and truly enjoy myself while doing so. Sound familiar?

To set my vessel in the desired direction, I started this year with the first week in a remote place on my own charting a course - planning, preparing, and fully committing to 2022. My wish? A year of love, gratitude, and peace of mind in all endeavors spanning what Fernando Flores termed as the “thirteen recurrent domains of human concern”: Body, Play, Sociability, Family, Work, Education, Career, Money, Membership, World, Dignity, Situation, and Spirituality. Diligently, for each of these domains, I created goals and daily practices. Why? Because there really is so much more to life than what we typically consider on a day-to-day basis, beyond FAMILY, friends, health, and MONEY. Why else? Because I am committed to living an extraordinary life.

So, what happened? Predictably, sailing through the year went well until the inevitable storm hit in February, making tacking and jibing of no use. I broke a rib PLAYing indoor lacrosse. When it is hard to take a deep breath - considering also you may get pneumonia - even though BODY and SPIRITUALITY are focused upon, like a clear glass of water to a thirsty soul, you stop paying attention to things like SOCIABILITY, MEMBERSHIP, and SITUATION. The drift sets in and those grandiose dreams for the year start to float away - now on the verge of disappearing over the horizon.

You’re SMART-er than that!

What to do? It takes pausing one day to drop anchor once more and get your bearings straight again. A business acronym to think from is SMART: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timely. When you write your business and life goals down on paper make sure they are SMART. Research says the probability of success in achieving goals goes up many-fold when they are written down and done so SMART-ly. A case in point is that my goals for 2022, with each domain considered, are written on a piece of paper hanging off a book shelf in my office. I re-read them today and got reconnected to my wishes. Without this tangible reminder, what impact might I hope to achieve in the WORLD? Without it, how far might I end up drifting out in the sea?

Considering DIGNITY, I see actions like “giving up anger and comparison”, “stand tall”, and “take educated risks”. Though specific, actionable, realistic, and timely, there is nothing measurable. Interesting...I need to count every week the number of times I do these things (or not) at WORK and in life. Meanwhile, to further my EDUCATION, I see “read 2 books each month”, “listen to podcasts”, “learn piano”, and “write 2 books”. Looking at this again, I wonder how realistic these goals are and perhaps one book, the forthcoming Designing Internships, Dignifying Interns: Stop Winging it and Start Providing Real Value to Your Interns and Your Organization is all I ought to WORK on.

Are there domains in your life you would like to get SMART about today? What are you seeing for yourself in all this?

Wishing Wells

Long ago Europeans created a tradition of making wishes over water. This started with wells and over time expanded to ponds and fountains. Given water is the source of life and it sprung from the earth below as a surprising gift, this is reasonable. Surely, a gift to the gods associated with the source of life would lead to wishes coming true, wouldn’t it? That gift may be a coin. The hope is that when the coin lands at the bottom, it doesn't land tails up. If so, your coin and wishes are both…well…sunk. If heads up, you can celebrate because the wish will come true.

Luckily, you and your business don’t have to count on this 50/50 proposition. You don’t even need a body of water. Just focus on what you truly wish for in each of the domains of your life, write them down in a SMART way, read them periodically, take consistent action and get buy-in from others. Then, watch your wishes, dreams, and goals come true. Simple, though not easy.

So, going one league deeper, what if additionally, you wished that others get their wishes? And what if everyone did the same? What could be possible? In every domain of life, each of us would be SMART wishing each other well in their endeavors. I wish for that.

I wish you well.

Here's to you and your awesome future.

Until then, keep your feet on the board and keep riding your wave!

Robert J. Khoury

CEO Agile Rainmakers