The Joy Of Looking Forward
Sometimes the anticipation is half the fun.
At our house, Halloween doesn't begin on October 31.
It starts weeks earlier.
There are costumes to choose—and sometimes reconsider. Decorations appear. Plans are made. The girls start talking about where they'll go, who they'll be with and, of course, how much candy they hope to bring home.
By the time Halloween actually arrives, we've already spent weeks enjoying it.
It reminds me that looking forward to something is part of the experience.
We understand this instinctively in our personal lives. We anticipate vacations, birthdays, holidays, dinners with friends and weekends away.
But at work, we can become so focused on the next deadline that we forget people need things to look forward to there, too.
It doesn't have to be elaborate.
A team lunch. Celebrating the completion of a difficult project. An upcoming off-site. Recognizing a milestone everyone has been working toward.
Good leaders don't only acknowledge accomplishments after they happen.
Sometimes they give people a reason to enjoy the journey toward them.
And if there's candy involved, even better.
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