Ending the Year Strong

There is a great little book called Chasing Daylight by Eugene O’Kelley. Gene was the Chairman and CEO of KPMG when was diagnosed with an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. Rather than fight the disease, he decided to honor the relationships he’d had in his life by enjoying a final experience with the people that were important to him.

Gene drew six concentric circles. He started his meeting with the outer circle, the people with whom he shared some work experience (that was thousands of people). Then he moved into close business associates, the fifth circle. Then he moved into the fourth circle, his lifetime friends. The remaining three circles were immediate family, his children, in the very center, his wife.

Gene intended to work from the outside in, working through his many business relationships first, so that he could save his remaining days for his wife and children. But as he was running out of time, he realized he had gotten the order wrong. The only things that really mattered were the people in the small inner circles. He was running out of time with his wife and children.

Over the next week, you are going to see countless articles about ending your year strong. You are going to hear a lot about making 2015 your best year ever (and you may hear that here!). But if you really want to end your year strong, make sure you get your priorities in the right order.

Over the next week, make time for the most important relationships you will ever have. Start with the smallest circles, your life’s partner, your children, and your immediate family.