Nobody needs a special day to set new targets but let us face it, the new year’s day is a good time for this. Starting a new year means new decisions and new beginnings for most of all. It is customary to reconsider our vision for institutions that we manage, set new targets for the next year, and develop new strategies to take us to such targets. At this time of the year I always remember the famous quote by John Lennon: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”. We think about this but still make our plans. Because failing to plan success is in a way planning failure. I can say I feel closer to Einstein on this. Einstein says: “If I had 60 minutes, I would spend 55 minutes thinking and 5 minutes for action.” According to me, dreaming about the future just to spite its uncertainties and obscurity of what life would bring is a must for a successful and meaningful life.
What I found thought-provoking and compelled me to write this letter is witnessing many people never do even once in their entire lives what we do for our institutions every year without exception. I have discussed this observation with my brand management consultant, strategy expert, and even management consultant friends from time to time. I must confess I was deeply surprised to find out some of these friends who prepare tens of brand positioning, communication strategy development, change management, annual targets and budget plans due to the nature of business life never dream or set targets for themselves.
I believe the utmost responsibility of a person it towards oneself. People should follow their dreams. And they must do this at once. Because life is such a hustle that you might find out years passed but you spent your time running after corporate targets, not living your own life. Everything can be compensated except for time that pass. Steve Jobs underlines the value of time by saying: “My favorite things in life don't cost any money. It's really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” Not delaying their dreams is what people owe to themselves. I believe giving up on one’s dreams is giving up on life. We must take action to say “I’m happy that I did” instead of “I wish I did”.
Nowadays we are on the first pages of a 365-pages clean notebook. Now is the right time to dream! While we are in the first days of a new year, I would like to call out to young people especially and urge them to find dreams they can follow passionately and work all they might to realize them. Do not wait for miracles to realize your dreams. The only miracle is you.
I believe in my dreams more than targets. I dream at every opportunity; before going to sleep, when I wake up, while walking, working, listening to music, driving a car, playing the guitar, looking at a pretty picture, watching a movie. Especially while starting a new year I think about what I want to change, what I want to do, what I do not want to do anymore. Also I take a look at my experiences and consider “What can I do better?” and “How it could be different?”. Unless we know what is important for us and where do we want to arrive, we cannot know where to go and what to choose. Dreaming shows us who we want to be and where do we want to arrive at life. You can grab a pen and a paper and note down what you want to do, to change, to realize this year. I have been doing this for several years, around this time of the year with pleasure. It does not hurt at all. I hope you would try the same this year.
No matter where we stand, we left behind a difficult year for all of us. We completed 2020 at a much different point than we were hoping in its start. While it was a difficult year, we could still arrive at points we hoped for. I believe we can give a chance to change and renovation despite all that happened last year. As long as there are humans, there is hope. Let us remember that we did not come to this world to run around in circles but to improve and hoist ourselves up. I wish 2021 would be a year when we can refresh our hopes for ourselves and our world and achieve all our dreams.
Happy new year!