As I write the last memo of 2022, I find myself living in a bittersweet moment. Some of you are already aware that today is my last day working for the group of companies I’ve been with for over 23 years.
There are decisions in life where we get immediate feedback. (Note: You should always try hot sauce in very small amounts). And there are decisions where it takes years, decades, or a lifetime to see the outcome.
Recently I was asked to list my “quake” books – the books that shake up the way you see the world. After giving it some thought, there is one book that is definitely on my list. In 2019, I read How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen.
Even if you’re not familiar with Clay Christensen, you’ve probably heard someone use the term “disruptor”, which is based on his concept of “disruptive innovation”. (One of his books even makes a cameo in the recent Glass Onion movie.)
I know that if I recommend a book here, it’s unlikely many of you will read it. But what Clay has to say is profound and worth spreading. Here’s a presentation he gave that distills the main point into a 20 minute speech (which I’ve shortened to 15).
“…I’ve realized that I used to be afraid of failing at the things that really mattered to me, but now I’m more afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.” — Love Does by Bob Goff
Soon I’ll be sitting down to compile my 2022 Year In Review. This annual accounting of my work is helpful for two reasons. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I look back at the material I’ve read, the notes I’ve made, and see the words I’ve written. It also gives me pause when I notice the discrepancy between what I hoped to complete and what I actually finished.
“The starting point for our journey is a discussion of priorities. These are, in effect, your core decision-making criteria: what’s most important to you in your career? The problem is that what we think matters most in our jobs often does not align with what will really make us happy. Even worse, we don’t notice that gap until it’s too late.”
— How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, et al.
“The type of person you want to become—what the purpose of your life is—is too important to leave to chance. It needs to be deliberately conceived, chosen, and managed. The opportunities and challenges in your life that allow you to become that person will, by their very nature, be emergent.” —Ibid
And so it is with these thoughts in mind that I begin the new year. I hope that you too will set aside some time for reflection in the coming days and weeks.
Bob Seawright often ends The Better Letter with a benediction. I couldn’t improve on his work, so I’ll share his words instead:
“To those of us prone to wander, to those who are broken, to those who flee and fight in fear – which is every last lost one of us – there is a faith that offers grace and hope. And may love have the last word. Now and forever. Amen.”
Happy New Year!