As we start 2020, we have an amazing opportunity to clearly see our future. Did you see what I did there - with the “20/20” and “clearly see”? You will likely hear a lot of that as we enter the new year. For many of us during our early years, 20/20 was a term used to define perfect vision. This play on words could get old fast, or it could serve as a catalyst for us to get started on a more fulfilling life.
The truth is, few of us are busy living our best life, and though we desire change, we lack the motivation to get started or fear we will fail once more. Still, it would be wrong to question the desire. We are like the young boy who was writing a letter to God at Christmas explaining how good he had been in order to get the bike he really wanted. He started by writing, “Dear God, I have been good for the majority of the year…”, but after thinking about it, he realized he couldn’t lie to God and still get what he wanted. So, he wadded the paper up and started again. “Dear God, I have been good for the last month…”. Once again, he thought about it and realized that wasn’t true. Growing more frustrated and really wanting the bike, he wadded the second paper up and started once more. “Dear God, I was really good last week…”, but even that statement concerned him, as he thought back to being mean to his brother and talking back to his parents. In desperation he wadded that paper up and threw it away as well. Finally, he walked over to the nativity scene and took the figurine of the Virgin Mary. He gently wrapped it in tissue and began his final draft. It read, “Dear Jesus, if you ever want to see your mom again…” Now that is when you know you really want something!
I believe most of us want our best life. We just aren’t sure how to achieve it. In frustration and without a clear focus on the desired end-result, we set out hoping “better” will happen without ever defining what the “best” could be. Stephen Covey fully understood this. In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he challenged us to “Begin with the end in mind.” What do you want to accomplish in 2020? If this year ended successfully, what would that look like? When that question is answered, you are seeing your future clearly.
In the mean-time, you shouldn’t sit idly by and do nothing. If you want to go to the nation’s capital, you don’t have to know the exact address to know which direction to head in. You simply need to know where you are and the general direction you are heading. Next, you have to move. It is much easier to steer a ship when it is in the water. The only time you should stop is to celebrate your successes, evaluate your progress, or when you determine you are headed in the wrong direction.
Are you moving toward a destination that looks like your best? If that is the commitment you are looking to make, why not make your best something that also benefits our industry? I challenge you to be a part of the solution. Be a part of the movement to solve the industries’ biggest challenge- the Installation Crisis. From this point forward, if you are part of the flooring industry, you are either part of the problem or part of the solution. There are two things you can do now to join the movement committed to being a part of the solution:
- Join the WFCA by going to wfca.org, to combine your voice with other like-minded professionals seeking to solve the Installation Crisis. The WFCA has eliminated membership fees for primary members to make this an easy transition.
- Contribute to the Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF). This foundation has been created to fund the solution required to remove this challenge from our industry.
Here is hoping your success is clear to you in 2020!
