“How’s it going?!?!,” well-meaning people often ask, inquiring how M2 is doing.
I never know how to answer that question. Because in those moments I find myself wondering how others define success or status, so I can reply with that context in mind. Or because the question reminds me that I haven’t fully defined what success means to me. And I’m a little embarrassed about that.
In honor of M2’s first birthday, I wanted to take a few minutes to think about how this anniversary feels.
Creating and pursuing goals, marking milestones and communicating progress have figured prominently into my career. These are business basics that warm my quantitative little heart. But I have largely let them go this past year. Sometimes I feel proud of that. There’s a plan, but there’s lots of room for exploration too. Sometimes I feel self-indulgent; if it weren’t for the privilege of a husband who financially supports our family and this endeavor, I couldn’t do it.
Before I launched M2, I spent well over a year examining my “why,” which was to help people feel more capable, fulfilled and connected. The “how” was building and maintaining mindfulness practices in community.
So when someone tells me they now say hello to M2 classmates in the break room, whom they never knew before, I delight in those connections. When someone says they were surprised to find themselves becoming emotional experiencing quiet and reflection, I appreciate the opening for greater self-awareness. When someone realizes that even a 10-minute pause can refresh, restore and improve their day, I celebrate the possibility of inspiration to take short breaks for self-care. We hear this feedback super regularly. So, how’s M2 doing? Great!!
But I’m not free from the numbers story. I’ve spent 25 years in business, tracking and reporting data, and M2 numbers so far aren’t quite what I hoped or planned. Plus, I need to earn a living in the not-too-distant future. So I need to figure out how to give numbers the right meaning for me.
“How’s it going?!?!” Who the hell knows? But I’m nowhere near done figuring it out.
Happy birthday to us! (and here’s a few numbers)