Just Pick 1 Thing

Sometimes it's good to state the obvious.

Today is the last day of 2025 and tomorrow is the first day of 2026.  

It's interesting how this turn of the calendar can produce so much more focus than yesterdays, or the day after.  There's something about one year ending and a new one beginning that seems to naturally focus our attention on reflection of what has passed, and the possibility of what is to come. 

The truth is, that can look very different for many of us.  For some, 2025 was great and we have lots to be thankful for.  That reflection can give us a natural hope for what 2026 may bring. For others, this year was difficult, and we are glad to see it go. That may either create a sense of relief that a new year is here, or a sense of dread about what else might be around the corner!  I just recently heard someone say, "I'm hoping to slide very quietly into 2026. Maybe it won't notice I've arrived!"

Regardless of what this turn of the calendar brings for you this year, I would like to offer a simple suggestion:

Just Pick 1 Thing!

Whenever I teach a seminar to a group of individuals, I typically end the session by challenging each participant to only pick 1 Thing from all the brilliant and amazing things I've said to them (LOL). I encourage them to Just Pick 1 Thing to focus on after the seminar and give themselves permission to not worry about the rest of it. Part of the reason I do this is because if we attempt to focus on too many choices or actions, we often end up not doing anything! So, by focusing on Just 1 Thing, we have a much better chance of actually taking action.

Which is why I am suggesting you Just Pick 1 Thing on this turn of the calendar from 2025 to 2026.

What is 1 Thing that happened this past year for which you can be grateful? How could you focus on that and allow it to bring some joy to your heart? Maybe you would rather pick just 1 Thing that happened in 2025 that you would like to be different in 2026? What small adjustment could you make that would help to jump start that change? Perhaps it's 1 Person instead of 1 Thing? Who is a single individual who had an impact on your life in 2025 and how could you express to them what they meant to you this year?  Regardless of what or who it is, maybe the simplicity of just choosing 1 will help make this turn of the calendar a good one.

Here's to Just Picking 1 Thing this year!

Be Well,

Stephen

Center was created to support individuals and teams so they can live from their Purposeful Center. We specialize in professional coaching and leadership development and we'd love to support you! Click on our Services page to book a free consultation.

Celebrate!

I was recently chatting with a leader who was reflecting on the various people on their team. One of the items we were brainstorming was how to provide unique feedback to each individual based on their personalities and what the leader knows about how they function.  During our conversation, this leader commented that regardless of who the individual is, they are always trying to figure out how to Celebrate them - they look for specific opportunities to give them positive feedback of some kind.  

When they said that word Celebrate, my mind and heart were immediately sparked with the idea that I need to look for more ways to Celebrate.  And I am not just talking about the accomplishments of other people, but also taking time to Celebrate what is happening in my own life.

I also think it would be easy to think of this word Celebrate and put it in the context of larger milestones or accomplishments.  But I think there is something to be said for Celebrating even the small wins. If we only Celebrate the larger, more significant milestones, we miss out on all the small moments that can bring a sense of joy and happiness in our lives.

And it just so happens this is a season of Celebration for many of us!  We'll have some extra time off work, maybe a bunch of treats around, time with family and friends, and of course all of those lights and music that come with these seasons of Celebration.  So perhaps it's a good time for all of us to practice Celebrating - the big moments, but also all of those small moments that we may be tempted to miss.

During this next week, who could you Celebrate and how could you let them know you are Celebrating them? What may be happening in your own life that it's important for you to name and Celebrate for yourself? How could you slow down a little and pay attention to the joys of life around you, and allow yourself the privilege of some simple Celebration?

Here's to taking some time to really Celebrate this week!

Be Well,

Stephen

Center was created to support individuals and teams so they can live from their Purposeful Center. We specialize in professional coaching and leadership development and we'd love to support you! Click on our Services page to book a free consultation. 

Whoooaaahhh!

I've had the honor of witnessing firsthand this holiday season through the eyes of a 2 & ½ year old.  Let me just say it's been magical! 

One of the things this toddler has inherited is a family tradition where one of Santa's elves comes to your house every night starting on December 1^st and leaves a small package for you if you leave your shoes outside of your room.  It has some loose connection to an Icelandic tradition about 13 Yule Lads who visit the children of that country, but regardless of its origins, this tradition has been a gift to me this year.  

Every morning I've gotten to watch a video of this sleepy toddler find their package from the elf and open it. And without fail, and no matter what is inside the bag, the response is always this genuine joy that comes out in a, "Whoooaaahhh!"  Melts my heart every day!

Earlier this week I was watching one of these videos with my usual big, cheesy grin on my face, and the thought occurred to me, "I need to embrace more Whoooaaahhh in my life!" 

There are so many small opportunities where I could find genuine joy in a moment of awe and wonder, but I don't seem to let those moments linger.  I understand that with the pressures of life and adulthood, it's often more difficult to see these moments through those eyes of innocence, but I think if I were to slow down, and actually notice more, my life and heart would be fuller and richer because of it.

Of course, this also made me think of you today, wondering how all of our lives might be enriched if we were to embrace more Whoooaaahhh. Are there places or relationships that immediately come to your mind where you might be able to find some of that Whoooaaahhh for yourself?  How could you adjust your perspective, so you were seeing the world with a little more childlike innocence? If you were to pay attention to the small moments today, no matter what they contained, could you embrace a little more awe and wonder in your life, and how might you share that with the people around you?

Here's to embrace more Whoooaaahhh in our lives this week!

Be Well,

Stephen

Center was created to support individuals and teams so they can live from their Purposeful Center. We specialize in professional coaching and leadership development and we'd love to support you! Click on our Services page to book a free consultation.