Dot on the horizon

Last week we spent a few days in the Netherlands.

I had work to do, we visited family and friends and had a good time in The Hague.

Sunday, we drove back. 

We benefitted from one extra hour because daylight saving time ended, so we left early and returned home before it got dark (again).

It was a gorgeous day on the road, primarily in Germany. The sun was out, it felt like a warm spring day, and the trucks were not allowed on the highways.

I got to drive fast while reflecting on the week that just ended.

One of my deliberations was on the stories I would write this week.

I had trouble focusing because of a bad and short night’s sleep. The cause was a lack of discipline in eating good food.

Thinking about topics while driving faster than usual with a little sleep deficit was not that easy.

Then we crossed the border between Germany and the Czech Republic.

A tunnel through the mountain separates the two countries.

We left a sunny and warm Germany, and a few minutes later, we entered a foggy and much colder Czech Republic. 

It felt like two different worlds, frankly. 

One happy and optimistic. The other is sad and a bit gloomy.

What most intrigued me, while not new, was how the world suddenly turned a lot less clear. 

It was hard to see the cars in front of you for a while.

My first thought was how lucky the Germans were with such a gorgeous day, while the Czechs spent the whole day in the fog.

Then I thought of the link to my story. 

The missing horizon in the fog and the lack of big-picture clarity reminded me of two moments that happened that week.

One was trying to find a restaurant in an unknown city while zooming in and out on a map.

When zoomed in, the details are precise but finding the restaurant within the larger city frame was nearly impossible. 

When zoomed out, it became clear where the restaurant was positioned, but details were lacking.

The other story was about a client looking for its next dot on the horizon. 

The last dot was successfully accomplished, and now it was time to rally the company behind the next dot. 

The message in all three stories (fog, map, horizon) is the same. 

We need clarity to know where we’re going. 

Erikjan

Otherwise, we’re in trouble. 

It’s obvious, but it’s not always practiced.

We drive too fast in the fog. 

We think we know our way to the restaurant. 

We do our daily work without knowing exactly what we’re trying to accomplish. 

When a person, team, or company is crystal clear on goals, it creates energy. 

I’ve seen it over and over again, including in my own life, and still, we think we don’t need to invest much time to create, choose, align, and communicate our goals.

With drainage of energy as a consequence.

I’m sure you have an example in your own life when you set a clear goal and went after it. 

My example is running the New York City marathon.

The dot on the horizon could not have been any clearer.

The training was not easy, but the goal in front of me made it look easy. I still remember the energy it created.

The same must have happened with your dots in life.

So what stops you from doing it again and creating that dot on the horizon?

Your turn: what’s your dot on the horizon?

Do more of what makes you happy!

Erikjan