In a recent reflection on the year past and the year to come, I had the thought of the week between Christmas and New Years as Tweener Week.   To me, it feels like it is no longer 2017 and yet 2018 has not yet arrived.  Schools are out; business is generally slow leaving a bit of a void where not much more can be accomplished in 2017 as we wait for 2018 to arrive.

If you are a skier, you may be filling your week with time on the slopes, provided you don’t mind crowds.  And this year is not yet a good ski season in most of the US.  At Jay Peak in Vermont, there is lots of snow, but temperatures (not including wind chill) are forecasted to reach -21 degrees.  By the way, the wind blows up there that is a perfect formula for some frostbite. 

Some of you are likely with family and traveling so the idea of a slow week doesn’t apply to you.  But if it does there is still a great deal of positive momentum to be derived from Tweener Week.  As you reflect on this past year, there are sure to be things that occurred from which you can learn.  Whether immediately rewarding or a challenging event or series of circumstances, there were lessons to be determined. Some of what happened may have been significant, and some of what happened may have been relatively obscure, and yet from each, there were assuredly learning opportunities. 

During one of the nine Christmas services (Christmas at the Ranch) at my church this year, I did some volunteer work.  One evening I met an ex-Vietnam Veteran who was at a local home for veterans.  He had to leave the service because he began panicking when the music and the lights elevated to a level that he couldn’t tolerate.  While talking to the hero, I heard about things that I sometimes overlook during my daily routine that veterans had to endure when they returned from Vietnam.  My heart broke from what I heard during a brief conversation with that soldier. That conversation made an impact on me that hasn’t yet subsided.  I am going to be visiting the Veterans home next week where that soldier and many others live to see what I can do as a volunteer to make their lives a little better.

This past year in my life was one of the most significant learning years I have ever had.  My business struggled with some uncertainties and then forward with new rigor and excellence. My personal life had disappointments but also many joyful moments and growth. I completed my business plan draft and my Brian Mitchell plan for 2018 this week and established some significant goals in the process.  They will require discipline, rigor, and dedication to complete.  I plan to publish my second book, which I am calling Inspired Leadership.  That will require carving out time to write. I also plan to go on a very long bike ride this summer, one which will be at least twice as far as I have ever ridden in a single trip.  That will require extensive training. I also plan to read the Bible during the year and have done that in the past, so know that it takes a great deal of effort to complete that task. Those plans came after reflection on the past year and a desire to accomplish more and do new things this coming year as well as to continuously improve who I am and the value that I provide others.

As it has been for me, Tweener Week can be a week of contemplation, introspection, learning from 2017 and applying what you learned to the planning process for the coming year. It is a bridge from one year to the other and a gap where you can let your dreams bubble up into view and push aside the past that wants to obstruct your outlook going forward.  It is a time of new ideas, creativity, initiatives, and beginnings.  It is also a great time to shed burdens that do not belong clinging to you and creating stress. Tweener Week is a week designed just for you.  It is not last year and not yet the year coming.  Use it to build a solid launch pad for your 2018.