I’ve done these “Long Term” documents for some time. Essentially, I started in 1994, as part of Facilitating a SIM Midwest chapter Regional Leadership Forum exercise to do a 10 year plan. I chose to try doing a 30 year plan instead, but couldn’t put it into words, even for weeks after the forum. I eventually tried painting it, which worked surprisingly well. A early symbolic representation of that painting in the form of four icons, i.e., summarized, is below.
It was, over the years, a very productive exercise, having sub-sequentially been re-issued as a 25 year plan, then a 20, then a 15 year document, now an 11 year plan,labeled “Our Basic Operating system -OBOS”
Initially it was all professional or business focused, i.e., TDG, Inc. The current version attempts to “shape” a long, broad view of activities and aspirations for the rest of BOTH our personally estimated life expectancies [11 and 18]. It also now includes my focus on a form of 3 dimensional art I’m engaged in….. creating various Inukshuks. There are many in my office, and in the hands of famiy, friends, & clients. I believe this new art form reflects a much deeper and more personal set of planning tracks. It is perhaps my form of the planning which many people do approaching retirement @ 65, and which I skipped entirely. I have actually been doing it for c. 25 years, now into my 85th year, as a version of full life planning, or perhaps more accurately stated, “retiring, my way! -Carefully, elegantly, productively, effectively, non-traditionally, with a substantial reduction & shift from my organizational work in TDG, Inc. After a “glide down” over several years of that very successful, fullfilling activity , we will shut down completely TDG, Inc. , on or before 12/31/2018. I will then continue to do individualized executive coaching of graduates or sponsors of my many [c. 250] past Leadership Learning Forums, especially those who want to do their own form of that “Magical”process.
I’ll do this more via electronic or virtually systems, as well as including more personal focus, more family focus, and more interactions within my network.
The original four icons below, are useful reflections of my long range intentions, first expressed in 1994, and are in more detail now in OBOS
| Be an effective Communicator – a “tower” or relay dish, both Transmitting and Receiving. |  |
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| Be a Connecting Apparatus, or Bridge of meaning and value between opposite dimensions / ideas / attitudes/people… A Catalyst! |  |
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| Find Tai Chi , Yin & Yang for understanding, unity, motion & fluidity in all things, in all times. |  |
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| Build on my solid base of experience which is a deep foundation for all my chosen focus areas, integrated for strength, in new creations, as a constant endeavor. |  |
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If you’d like to know more about this ongoing quest of ours, and are ready to contribute your own version of personal long term thinking, please Email me for a dialogue.
