From the Desk of Ellen Fisher - June 2010

Birthday Thoughts

While proofing this month's eZine, I noticed that Bonnie, our editor, included a quote in the Thought for the Day section in honor of my upcoming birthday. Her birthday is also in June, but since she's a year younger, she's always coming up with ways to subtly (and sometimes not so subtly, as in broadcasting it to our 9000 readers) remind me of my age. But I don't really need any prompting because as soon as the calendar hits May, I shift into what I call my pre-birthday mode. This means I regularly inspect my face in search of changes from last year's birthday celebration photo - with an extra emphasis on hairs that sprout in unexpected places. I also start a month-long contemplation over what I am going to select as my 'thing to learn' for the new year. I have a (verging on irrational) need to prove that I am not an old dog, and that I can learn new tricks.

I know that as people age, they often resist innovation and technological changes, so I've been choosing to improve my skills in the high-tech arena. Two years ago I mastered online banking and bill paying. This past year I overcame my hesitancy about text messaging. I am nowhere near proficient in my texting abilities, but I'd say that 'barely competent' is a fair way to describe someone who takes four minutes to send a 4-word text (without punctuation) and then a fifth minute to figure out if it really was sent.

This year, I feel I should learn to use social networking and, in particular, Twitter. My use of the word 'should' is not a good sign. Perhaps you've heard the expression, "Should-ing all over yourself"? I am pretty sure I'd feel better prepared to learn the how of Twitter if I could just understand the why of it. Why is it necessary to broadcast my every thought? Why do people (my followers as they are called, which makes me feel a bit like a guru rather than a businesswoman and a mom) need to know where I am at all moments? If I choose not to tweet, I would like to think that it means I am standing my ground and declaring my independence and uniqueness. But I worry that these are merely age-driven smoke screens to cover my resistance to technological change. Either way, I really need to move beyond this dilemma.

My solution, that I am sharing with 9000 people, Twitter-style, is that for this birthday, I am going to do the exact opposite of tweeting and learn something low-tech, yet equally-as-foreign-to-me. I am going to work with my hands.

A few weeks ago I helped my next door neighbor set tile in a half-bath in his house. I originally volunteered to work with him because he had been procrastinating and I thought my presence would help him overcome that. What I didn't expect was that I would get hooked. I returned the next night, begging him to turn off the baseball game so we could start grouting. I may be biased, but the portion of the bath that I worked on definitely looks more professional than his, and he is someone who has, off-and-on, done manual work for a living. I was so proud of my handiwork that I made my whole family (and a couple friends) traipse through my neighbor's house to take a look.

My goal for this birthday year is to continue to help my neighbor fix up his house until I feel confident enough to experiment in my own home. And when I blow out the candles on my cake, I am going to wish for my very own tool belt!

Is there a business lesson in this? You bet there is. Having the right tools. making well-thought out decisions, and keeping up with trends, are all certainly important in business. But what's most important is making sure you stay true to yourself and follow your instincts.