100 Days Left In 2009

Yesterday, the autumnal equinox arrived. The Earth on its tilted axis was at the point where day and night were precisely the same length at the equator. In no time at all, it will be the winter solstice, the longest day of the year.

Between now and then, lots will happen. The passage of time through the seasons allows us to mark progress and take note of things that have changed. As autumn arrives, we're mostly in back-to-school mode, with thoughts of football and turning leaves. In December we'll be in the midst of holiday frenzy and the countdown toward a new year. The next three months, inevitably, is a busy time of the year.

Earlier this year, in January, you probably made some resolutions to yourself. Today, with just 100 days left in 2009, you might find yourself with unmet goals and unfulfilled promises.

Right now, you have the opportunity to close out the year like a winner. The question I'd ask is whether, 100 days from now, you will have accomplished what you wanted ... or if you'll just have been so "busy" that you'll wonder where the time went.

Every day, of course, is a moment of choice. But today, with 100 days left in 2009, is a highlighted moment of choice. My advice: Pick one mid-range target -- something significant that's important to you, a personal breakthrough that can be accomplished in 3 months.

Commit now to focusing on that outcome with discipline. Break it down to smaller pieces, bite-sized chunks you can work on day-by-day. Keep this target clearly in mind, and work on it regularly, each day if possible. Think of how you'll feel when the target is reached, the mission accomplished.

Today, you are facing an awesome opportunity to finish the year strong. If you stay motivated and focused, then your challenging target will be reached by December 21 (90 days from now) ... or at least by December 31, and you'll close out the year like a winner. Then, you can make another resolution for 2010.

When will things start looking up? How will you know?

So there's lots of chatter about hints of recovery in many economic indicators. Maybe we've reached a turning point?

Let's look at some of the data.

• New home sales up 9.6% between June and July. (Sales of existing homes also up, 7.2%)
  
• Consumer confidence, especially expectation of where we'll be in six months, rose in August to the highest level since December 2007.
  
• Orders of durable goods rose for third time in four months in July (up 4.9%), beating consensus estimates
  
• Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke told a financial conference that the economy is on the verge of growing again.
  
• Second quarter Gross Domestic Product declined "only" one percent, much less than expected
  
• First-time filings for state unemployment benefits fell by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 570,000 last week, marking the first drop in initial claims in awhile

Many scoff at this optimism, and for every positive data point it's easy to produce one to show the glass is half-empty. Caution is completely understandable and warranted.

But what does this mean for philanthropy? For your organization, in particular: How will you know when it's over? What indicators are you looking for? Average gift creeping back up? Direct response rates returning to "normal"? Corporate contacts no longer ducking your calls and interested in talking to you about sponsorships? Top investors willing to visit? To stay ahead of the curve, what signs are you monitoring to know when recovery is at hand? Or will you miss those signals?

To challenge you, I ask: What will you do first when you see those early indicators? What new practices will you roll out? What new initiatives will you pursue?

And then I will pose the most challenging question: What are you waiting for?

If you have a plan in mind for when things get better, what really is preventing you from going ahead and making those intentions a reality now? If that idea or strategy or tactic will be a good idea at some future "better time," I can almost guarantee you that it's a great idea now.

If there's any way to do so, get ahead of the curve. Implement those plans now.

Laid off? What now?

Are you have a hard time moving beyond the anger and frustration?

Well, this isn't going to be easy to do (though it's easy to say): Accept it. Move on.

"But it wasn't fair!" Yeah, OK. Got it. No layoff is ever fair.

It is what it is. You've got to accept the situation and look ahead.

I'll give you exactly one more day to grieve the loss. Wallow in the suffering of victim-hood. Yeah, feel the frustration. Go through the emotions.

Then, give it up. Get over it!

Stop! Stop the "instant re-play." Stop wondering: What if? Why me? Why not the guy who is clearly the lesser performer? Stop explaining it. Stop bemoaning. You will only drive people away.

Acknowledge: it wasn't your choice to leave. But, now, knowing what you know, would you REALLY want to go back? Nope.

Instead, you focus on finding your next opportunity.

Accept the present, learn from the past, and look toward the future.