In June of 1991, at age 33, I made a sales call on Munsingwear, a Minneapolis-based clothier. During our discussion of his team’s training needs, the fifty-something executive made a comment I’ve since quoted often:
“John, I’m about to enter my ‘summertime slowdown,’ so I suggest you contact me again in mid-September. I’m sure you know that life begins after Labor Day.”
Life begins after Labor Day … man, ain’t that the truth.
After those steamy “dog days of summer,” there is a boomlet of productivity in America that follows our Labor Day holiday. It’s like New Year’s Day all over again and can be a time to reflect and renew, set goals, and change.
So, with Labor Day upon us, here are some critical questions to ask—of ourselves:
9 Questions for Accountable Living
- What blessing have I been taking for granted?
- Have I allowed victim/entitlement thinking to creep into my life?
- Is there someone I need to forgive or apologize to?
- What relationship do I need to invest more into?
- Have I let any anger take a foothold in my life?
- Is there a skill-set I need to enhance?
- What project have I procrastinated on?
- What excuses have I been making regarding nutrition and physical fitness?
- What problem in my life do I need to take personal accountability for today?
As we write in QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, learning isn’t about attending a seminar or reading a book.
Nor is it about simply skimming our 9 questions above. This is truth:
Learning = Change
Never forget this: If I haven’t changed, I haven’t learned.
So, as the lazy days of summer fade and before the next period of low productivity arrives (it’s called “the holidays), let’s get about learning and changing …
… because life is about to begin again.
Which of our 9 accountable questions means the most to you and why?
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3 Responses
I enjoyed your 8 accountable questions. They made me think about some things I need to truly learn so that I can change.
Janice, thank you! Yep, we all need to ask them!
Hi John,
I’m grateful for your “mid year” check up! I think procrastination has crept in, unfortunately. I see it was caused by me not taking the time to make a decision about which way I am going to proceed with a project. Instead I just kept putting off what I needed to accomplish. (So I made an appt. in my planner just now, with myself to work on the project today!) Have a great holiday.