We are closing out a calendar quarter, a year, and a decade. During this closing out time of year, there is plenty to look back upon and appreciate, and plenty to look back upon and begin making changes for the quarter, year, and decade ahead.
When you are closing out your financials, you are looking at the net results rather than day over day cash flow. When you are closing out a sales cycle, you are searching for goals accomplished, margins met, and product availabilities being able to meet sales. Sometimes product lines are closed out because they are dated, have been replaced by newer products, or simply aren’t selling.
During a going out of business sale, a company is closing out its inventory, its use of space, and letting staff go. Sometimes closing out is a health necessity or a retirement. Other times a closing out happens overnight, without notice and employees and customers alike are left wondering what happened.
Closing out a year and the decade. Take time to reflect on what worked well this decade and what you’d like to have happen differently. Determine how you will engage in life and invest your time in ways that lead you to your best-life and best work experiences. Typically, I think in terms of goals for the year ahead. Recently someone said, “we are closing out a decade”, which prompted me to take a longer view.
Closing out the 2010-2019 decade, I realize that in addition to running my business, writing books, and raising a family, I also ran for elected office, served in volunteer positions and enjoyed gardening and book club reading. Reflect on your decade. Make a list of what you enjoyed. Make a separate list of experiences you’ll happily leave behind so that you can gather energy for the new decade and the positive things ahead.
What is your company closing out? What do you want to close out and leave behind? What do you want to open-up in the new year? The new decade?
Workplace: Managing the moments of our day-to-day business lives takes work. Together, let’s explore what issues and activities affect us every day (or some days) that we go to work. – Jana