April showers bring May flowers. But April also brings the close of Q1 and the start of Q2. And just like that—Q2 is off to a fast start here at mcfa. Before we blink, the 4th of July will be here. So, we spend the first week or two of the quarter getting crystal clear on our wins and losses from Q1.  Because that’s how we refocus and begin again. Nunc Coepi—how we begin again.

But April also brings the close of Q1 and the start of Q2. And just like that—Q2 is off to a fast start here at mcfa. Before we blink, the 4th of July will be here. So, we spend the first week or two of the quarter getting crystal clear on our wins and losses from Q1.  Because that’s how we refocus and begin again.  Nunc Coepi—how we begin again.

We also enter this quarter with eleven new teammates joining mcfa. We are grateful for them joining us and for our clients continuing to entrust us with their programs, projects and problems. New employees is an awesome sign of growth. And growth is what we are aiming for—growth of individuals, leads to the growth of the business and vice versa. But new employees, while a great indicator of success and our North Star, isn’t enough to tell us if we are ALL winning. 

Like in sports, sometimes we play a bad game but we win. And sometimes we play a great game and we lose. The better question is: Did I / we / you accomplish what we set out to do this quarter? For some, the answer is yes. For others…not yet. And for me? I see a pattern. I see it when in my life, in our business, in our clients organizations and in the world. 

We, at mcfa, are exceptional at project managing for our clients—with urgency, expertise, and enthusiasm. But we, as a society, when it comes to project managing ourselves—our goals, our growth, our initiatives—we’re not as urgent, enthusiastic or ‘tight’. Part of growing, as individuals and businesses, is falling short. “Nunc Coepi” is a Latin phrase that came up in a recent conversation with my buddy Jimmy Vreeland. It means “Now I begin again.” It’s often used in faith life as a reminder that we all fall short—and when we do, we begin again.

But before we begin again, we need to ask a better question: Where did I fall short—and why? Most of the time, it comes down to some combination of: a lack of planning, prioritization or discipline.

We let the market, the client, the project, or the inbox, dictate our days. We let firefighting consume our energy, and we confuse being busy with being productive. And we happily allow “urgent” tasks to bleed into our time set aside for “important” ones.  (sometimes busy feels gratifying and fulfilling, rarely is it effective).

But here’s the truth:

When we don’t time-bound our deep work, the busy fire expands.

  • A 30-minute task becomes 2 hours.
  • A 5-minute email becomes 30.
  • A goal becomes an idea that never gets traction
  • A time block of productivity gets wasted away on (name your distraction of choice here).

So here’s my suggestion:

  • Do a critical assessment. Our systems (and schedules) are designed to give us the results we are getting…where did you system fall short?  Where did you fall short?
  • Get clear on your Q2 priorities. What 1–3 things matter most?  “I will feel accomplished on 4th of July if…x, y and z happen”
  • Lock in the project plan. Treat your internal initiatives, career development and personal goals like client deliverables, have a project plan! What 1 thing do you need to do each day or each week to make sure you win the quarter?
  • Request the resources you need BEFORE you need them. Ask for help early. Be specific.  But put the energy in to doing the work

And then… Nunc Coepi. Begin again.

  • Revisit that certification you paused.
  • Re-scope that process you wanted to fix.
  • Reconnect with that lead or client.
  • Recommit to that personal or professional goal.

And if you crushed Q1? 

Congrats.  Don’t rest on your laurels. 

Don’t coast.  Now is the time to ride the momentum of a successful quarter and stretch a little further.

Nunc Coepi.
BJ