The Plan
The last few weeks for me and my family have gone by in a blur. We enjoyed a cruise with my in-laws and seemingly spent at least half of the remaining time taking in all sorts of movies from Willy Wonka to The Color Purple and every other streaming Christmas flick can you imagine. (I think I’ve seen Elf and listened to enough Mariah Carey Christmas tunes to last for TWO years!)
Somewhere towards the end of one of those movies I realized how nice it would be if we could enjoy the efficiency of the cinematic conflict resolution cycle in our own lives. Think about it… in the span of normally 90-120 minutes, movies take us through innocence to conflict and ultimate resolution in the time it takes to finish a tub of popcorn and an Icee. And that thought brought me back to last month’s message, “Day ONE”.
I won’t recount the entire message, but the takeaway was centered on sustaining the energy and focus that we bring into a new job or new routine past just that first day of the new endeavor. It is my position that in order to maintain that focus you must have a plan.
I saw a great post from a couple on Facebook or Instagram over the break that talked about how the couple sets aside time at the end of each year, away from the distractions of the house and kiddos, to create a family plan for the upcoming year. For those still working, think about the amount of time we spend towards the end of every year budgeting and planning for the following year. Why would we not bring the same focus to planning for a successful year for those that we hold most dear?
My wife and I have now drafted our 2024 Family Plan. We have detailed goals for travel, health, family time, investments, and philanthropy. There’s no guarantee that we’ll follow it to the letter, but I’ve always believed that what gets measured normally gets done.
In the Y, our plan for 2024 and beyond is fairly ambitious. We have drafted plans that will more than triple the numbers of people we reach and transform how we deliver our services to you. We are making significant commitments to growing our service to our youth and especially to our teen population. And we’re focused on positioning the Y as a foundational pillar for quality family time.
There will be much more to share on this plan as we move through the year. Until then, I encourage you to build your family plan for 2024 and know that I am grateful that you’ve allowed the Y to be a part of it.
Kevin Bolding, President & CEO
YMCA of Central Florida
The Y. For a better us.®