It is the most exciting day of the year. December 23 is a big day for me. It’s not a birthday or an anniversary but rather one dictated by the solar system and the Earth’s rotation. Today is when the northern hemisphere has its shortest day. Not that I am a lover of night time, but instead I love daylight and sunshine, and it is the beckoning that we have hit the lowest point of the daylight spectrum, and it will only get better from here for the next six months. Yes, it’s a mindset and one that gets me through the colder months that await.
Our minds play similar games in business and life. Leaders wait for quarterly results before feeling accomplished. Entrepreneurs hold their breath until funding arrives. Sales teams delay celebration until year-end numbers are finalized.
These artificial checkpoints become our emotional anchors, much like the winter solstice. But nature teaches us something profound – change is constant, not event-driven.
Successful leaders break free from these mental traps by creating their momentum. Buffett famously ignored quarterly earnings in favor of long-term value. Sara Blakely built Spanx by celebrating small wins daily, not waiting for major milestones.
Instead of anchoring joy to external events, build internal metrics that matter daily—track team engagement over sales targets. Measure learning moments above quarterly profits. Focus on value delivery rather than funding rounds.
The sun doesn’t wait for solstice to shine. Neither should your drive for excellence.
