A Rearview Mirror versus The Windshield
A ratio of 96:1 seems pretty lopsided in general—meaning the windshield is ninety-six times larger than a rearview mirror in most automotive applications, yet we spend a considerable amount of time gazing backwards in our lives.
For transparency sake, I am sitting nineteen floors above the city in Asheville, NC in my friends condominium, I can see for miles and miles from up here. It is a gorgeous part of the country if you can ever get over here, very nice place it is. And on this absolutely clear, cold, and beautiful day I am reading a lot of posts of very cool stories and recaps of the year 2025. I love them all.
I truly enjoy seeing what my friends, co-workers, family, customers, and all have to say about how their year went. The new company that sprang fourth, the new job, kids doing well in school, heck, even a few new babies thrown into the mix … All excellent and for sure moments to be celebrated. I have used the writings of Dan Sullivan and Dr. Ben Hardy on the Straight Outta Crumpton podcast more than once. The Gap and the Gain teaches us to celebrate how far we have come, not to dwell on how far we have yet to go, that is why I am a huge advocate of celebrating victories, dang near any kind of victory.
Why not just stop right here, high five everyone, and move on?
Why, because of a phrase I heard many years ago … “Only the Paranoid Survive”, I do not have an unusual amount of paranoia lurking within me, but I do have an ample amount. The amount that keeps me where I need to be … Moving forward. The saying was first coined by Andy Grove in the book of the same name, who was running Intel at the time. Yes, 1996 was a long time ago and the amount of paranoia required then versus now may be different, but the fact remains, you have to keep your head on a swivel and watch for what is coming at you, so having a healthy dose is good, in my opinion.
Back to the 96:1 thing, my point is fairly simple, you have to enjoy the moment you are in, no doubt. You must, without any delay, celebrate what has been accomplished. That can be your accomplishments, the family, the team, the … anything – Yes, celebrate them and do it well. But do not get caught up in what was, look ahead to what will be, what can be, what she will become, what he will develop, etc. Future-gazing is a thing to be embraced.
Resetting or Honing?
There is no better time to reset than as we approach the New Year – is that the right word for you … reset? For us? For your family? I propose the idea of honing, as in sharpening, as in refining, being more intentional about what you will bear down on in the upcoming days, weeks, and minutes. You said in the past, “I am going to do XYZ, did you? Did you really need to or was it simply a way of resetting? Consider this for a moment:
I am advocating for refinement and honing the things that truly matter, not just another thing that while be pale by March, but just a small number of things you want to master. Mastery is such a gift for those that have accomplished it … If you do the research on how one attains mastery … Mastery of anything, it all comes down to doing actions that drive you towards being an expert at it. It is completing repetitions of doing that thing so that it is all about muscle memory and not thinking about reading a book per month, or whatever you want to master. It is all about how we embrace the suck, embracing it until it is natural.
Juggling is a Skill
How many plates of China can you juggle … not rubber balls, not bowling pins, but China? I use the word China because it is something of high-value. Rubber balls, tennis balls, bowling pins … All cheap stuff that a juggler can drop and it’s “no harm, no foul” … That is not what you are juggling in your life. You are charged with juggling your precious family, you are charged with juggling your relationships, all of them – home, work, social, etc., you are charged with your relationship with your divine power, with learning a new skill that matters to you, real stuff that matters. No free passes, these things are close to your heart.
Wrapping it up
Please remember, just a double handful of things matter in life, truly, there are not that many. Take time to reminisce, smile, and nod about what has been accomplished, please do this … I suggest documenting it with a small journal entry or something you can look back on later.
Then lower your head and get after what lies ahead.
When you do drop one of the plates you are juggling, do not think that it is over. True craftsmen know that once a plate is dropped, Kintsugi can make that accident or momentary setback truly better than it has ever been.
Watch for more of the “deepKnowledge” (www.deepKnowledge.me) brand, books, and logo popping up on a screen near you!
Until Next Time, Stay Reconnoitering
G
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