"To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if the moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour" Winston Churchill.
This quote is saying everything to me right now. 2022 was a year of significant change. Moved countries again, new role at work, just lots happening. However 3 constants remained. Lifting, reading and doing my best to apply stoicism to the things that were happening in my life. This is important because as we move into the 2nd month of the new year it appears likely big changes are about to happen again and it is Churchill's above point I find myself coming back to. How do I make sure I am ready when "tapped" to deliver in my "finest hour". By doing exactly what I have been doing now for decades - lifting and reading.
I know that I am about to face some significant challenges this year. I will be placed in high stress, difficult choice situations but I know I am up to the task as I will continue to revert to important virtues - Wisdom & Courage. Wisdom I have gained not just from the reading but also from close observation. I keep a little notebook where I right down lessons in two columns - "what to do" & "what not to do" as a leader. This helps me avoid making crucial errors as I have observed and learnt the lesson before necessarily learning the hard way. This does not mean I won't make mistakes. I will, for that there is no doubt. However by focusing on the wisdom that comes from careful observation and wide, diverse reading, I can improve my chances of making good decisions. Courage is perhaps a more difficult thing. Even if you have the wisdom to make the right choice it doesn't always mean you'll make it. It takes courage sometimes to make the right choice cause often the easier thing is to do the wrong thing. I believe the lifting can help develop the courage. the reason is that the lifting takes discipline and it takes time. These 2 traits, Discipline and Time are the nemesis of quick wins and bad decisions. If you have the discipline and the willingness for things to take time, you will have the courage to take the right but perhaps more difficult road.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; But the great man is he who is in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude". Keep lifting, push for PR's and stay consistent, whatever your age as this forges discipline. Read daily, read widely and learn from the past as it provides you the wisdom to tackle the future. By doing these 2 things you hone your ability to be courageous and wise, meaning whatever you face in the future, you will be ready to deliver "in your finest hour".