When I was growing up, I went to a one-story school with a flat roof. Every recess, we would play games on the asphalt beside the school – games like handball and foot hockey. I can remember sitting in my desk and staring at the clock, counting down the minutes until the bell rang. I would have my tennis ball in my hand, ready to run out to the schoolyard and secure our spot. I used to love playing those games so much.
But then, the inevitable would always happen.
The ball would go on the roof.
For me, as a kid, this was like the end of the world. There was no feeling more helpless than standing there and staring at that ball stuck on the roof. And god forbid if you were the unlucky kid with the errant shot that put it there!
At work, it often feels like our tennis ball is stuck on the roof. We can’t get things done. We don’t have the resources. We’re always trying to just get “caught up” – we don’t have the time to play offense and progress on our biggest goals.
But then came that day, the last day before Christmas Break, when something wonderful would happen. Do you remember that day?
That’s the day the janitor would go up on the roof.
To this day, I can still picture it vividly – rushing with my friends to the base of the wall while Mr. Garrod swung his glorious push broom. Soccer balls and tennis balls would rain down to squeals of laughter and excitement from all of the children below. This was the day we had all been waiting for – when we got our ball back and could go back to playing our game.
In 2018, it felt like my ball was stuck on the roof. And so, after a lot of soul searching, I finally made the decision to do what I’d been wanting to do for a long time – I quit my corporate job and started my own business. And now, I feel like I have my ball back and I’m ready to take on the world in 2019.
What has you stuck at work these days? Who can help you get unstuck – who can help get you fired up again?
Inspiration can come from the most unlikely of sources. I can tell you, on that day, back in my schoolyard, there was no bigger hero in the world to me than the janitor, Mr. Garrod.
Let’s make this year the best one yet. Happy New Year!
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