Yes. Fuck! The year is over and we still had so much planned.

Yes. Fuck! The year is over and we still had so much planned. What about all the projects? Who’s working over Christmas? An interim presentation has to be ready by January 5, 2022.

The good thing is that the realization that you’ve piled your plate too high once again doesn’t just apply to the buffet. Because it’s like this every year, we have a company-wide holiday break.

Sometimes I think it would be nice if this and that still got done. But that’s because I, too, find it hard to switch off. Over the holidays, it’s like an old Windows computer. It takes a while to shut down. Some program is always still stuck in memory, preventing the shutdown. And here I was, wanting to start the recovery program.

For me, right now is that moment: weren’t you going to write a year in review?

• Who is it for?
• Do I join in the chorus of praise – we’re such a great team and everything is super – or do I mention as many clients as possible in the hope that they’ll call me again right in January?
• When I look at our thought sorter, all of that goes into the bullshit generator. Luckily, I don’t know right now how to operate it; I’d have to ask the team. But I’m not allowed to. It’s the holiday break!
• Who’s going to read over the text and correct it? Maybe I’ll ask one of my kids. At least then they’ll have something useful to do.

But there has to be some wisdom in there too. Damn? What have I learned this year? How many takeaways should there be? Maybe 8? Seems like a good number. It’s Elvis’s birthday, it’s positive, brings double luck (2×4, the number of wholeness) and symbolizes infinity. So you can go around in circles. Perfect. Here we go.

1. Perfection breeds aggression — That’s already one of my mantras! There were probably one or two murderous thoughts on the team over the Christmas card — thanks for letting me, the pedant, live. 😉
2. Always infect others with your enthusiasm first, or you’ll burn them out and breed disappointment. — That’s the worst one for me. I can get excited about any old shit. Others might be thinking: “Really? Seriously?” Maybe next year I’ll listen first and not pass off my own goals as “team goals.”
3. We need time to waste it. Inspiration creates creation. Pressure creates counterpressure. — But how do I get that across to our clients? Maybe with an excuse? Or with plain talk?
4. The client has the right to poor work. — But it is our duty to point out better alternatives. The crap part is that it takes time and causes friction. Not everyone understands that.
5. Control prevents trust, yet it conveys a false sense of security. — That’s supposed to be an insight? Maybe I should hand out more responsibility. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with all this checking. But who controls the controllers? That’s surely what these “dailies” are for. Everyone can recite their work steps there like a prayer.
6. The heart must never grow hard! It’s good to give trust and be disappointed. It’s wise to accept the bitterness and give trust again. — My doors are always open. The good thing about me is that I’m forgetful, so this mantra is never hard for me.
7. If the gut is on board, the head won’t mind. — All that matters is being aware that you’re doing something for one reason or another. A company should have both gut people and head people. Then they are accountable to each other. But who’s the head person on our team? Looks like we need someone.
8. It’s not just the “old ones” who need orientation, but above all the “young ones” (gender-neutral here). Instead of constantly setting yourself up as a signpost, it’s better to go on a journey of discovery together and discover new positions. That was a surprise for me again this year. Thank you. I need a young brain like that. Maybe as human enhancement?

Better the real thing, then. My wishes to all our partners and clients out there: give us regular time-outs. Give us assignments that tax our brains and challenge us. Share responsibility with us and stand up for the goals together. Let us waste time and resources in order to gain them later. Let’s trust one another, let’s love the tasks, let’s fail and gain experience, then we’ll phoenixize. I like that word — turning a noun into a verb. Sounds kind of intelligent.

Let’s “live”! Not just this year, but in the years to come.

Dear all, my wish for all of you out there: become meaningful. Your destiny is freely chosen. You can perform well or poorly, you can lower or raise your expectations. But if your hands no longer create anything, if you are no longer aware of your own humanity and aren’t there for others, you will become lonely. Then we’ll need more people with big hearts who can reach you – or Mark Zuckerberg. Because in the metaverse, we create feelings through immersion, change worlds according to our own rules and live in our dream worlds. Those are the worlds in which we believe what we believe and grant no one the right to destroy these images. The IT guidelines see to that.

Thanks and cheers. By the way, if you’d also like to sort your thoughts a little, you’re welcome to do so with our Moon Shooter game. An exciting way to look back on the year. Maybe we’ll play it at Schaltzeit right at the start of the year.

At the end of the year, we didn’t have enough time for it. Unfortunately. That was down to the famous plate from the buffet. I had piled too much on it for us. “Better to strain your stomach than leave the host a gift.” But isn’t the motto “underpromise and overdeliver”? — maybe I’ll learn that next year.

I’m hopeful. See you soon.

PS: In 2022, we’ll devote ourselves to this machine. Charlie Chaplin Eating Machine 720p Blue Ray — YouTube — It really has potential as a breakfast machine for millennials. But the circuitry needs an overhaul. The “young ones” often arrive at the office without having eaten. There’s still a lot for us to do. A muesli feeder, frozen yogurt (vegan, of course) and coffee, ideally injected directly. That looks promising. Let’s get to it!