Quitter’s Day
It’s time to carry on what you started
Strava, the makers of a popular running and cycling app, have a special name for January 19th. They call it “Quitter’s Day.” After analyzing over 800 million user workouts, they identified this day as the day that people are most likely to give up on their fitness goals.
You might remember that on January 5th, I sent out a newsletter encouraging us all to build something this year. And I heard back from you about the projects you started. It was a fun and hopeful week.
Then we had an insurrection at the US Capitol. During a pandemic.
I wouldn’t blame you if the news consumed your time and attention. It did for me, too. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by seeing such reckless anger. These have been hard days here in the US, and thank goodness they weren’t even worse. The peaceful Inauguration Day felt more precious than any inauguration had before.
Well, we’ve just passed January 19th. If there was ever a year where “Quitter’s Day” packed its biggest punch, this is the one.
But remember why you decided to build something. Remember how it felt to be excited by it and how what you’re building could help someone else. Imagine what it will be like to see it finished. It’s time to pick it up again and figure out what comes next. You’ll be glad you did and others will be, too.
Let’s get back to it.
Seeing Good at Work
In many urban slums, working parents lack reliable options for their preschool-aged children. Tiny Totos, a for-profit social enterprise, helps informal daycare workers in Nairobi, Kenya to develop sustainable businesses that provide affordable, reliable care for these kids.
The daycares that Tiny Totos trains and supports see their profits quadruple as a result of this help. Meanwhile the kids benefit from education programs and meals, leading to improved childhood development across multiple measures.
Promotional Stuff
I’ll be giving another webinar on Feb. 9 about how improving ethical skills in your organization will improve everything else. If you’re interested in watching, you can sign up here.
And, as always, please share Good at Work with someone who might enjoy it.