Looking Back 10 Years Ago

I usually try to spend some time reflecting at the new year looking backwards on what’s been accomplished, what I’ve learned, and how I’ve changed while also setting some goals for the next 1, 5, and 10 years.  Given that it’s the changing of a decade, I’m first going to look back 10 years to see where I was.

1999:

• Living in St. Louis [I’ve moved about a mile down the road.]
• Working at Ernst & Young LLP [I’ve had 5 different jobs since then… although all of them with people from E&Y.]
• Wondering if the Y2K work I did would matter [still not sure but the world didn’t crash].
• Working with managed care companies trying to convince them to build member portals and how the Internet would change their business.  [I think we know where that went although they are still trying to drive traffic there.]
• Married with no kids and a dog [We now have 2 kids and a new dog.]
• Never worked out [I’ve since ran 3 marathons and try to work out several times a week.]
• There was no social media [Now, I’ve got Twitter, blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Plaxo.]
• Same mobile phone number and carrier although I paid several hundred dollars a month for many less minutes and features.

The decade itself seems full of big events:

• My kids being born and watching them grow – Amazing!  [I could talk about them and my amazing wife forever, but that’s probably not for this blog.]
• The dotcom bubble bursting [which impacted the company I was then working for].
• 9/11 – I can still remember driving to work that morning and sitting at work in sort of a daze [even out in the midwest].
• Iraq and Afghanistan.
• New Orleans.
• The Red Wings domination in hockey.
• The St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox winning World Series.
• Running my first marathon [and later running with my little brother].
• Trying to start my own company.
• Golfing with my wife [our weekly date] … but never seeming to significantly improve.
• Tsunami.
• Recession and seeing people I know lose their jobs and have to adjust lifestyles.  [I was glad I experienced this early in the decade and had an appreciation for this.]
• Seeing my parents really begin to age.
• Watching my brother and sister get married and have kids.
• Learning more and more about what I like to do and what I’m good at.
• Appreciate the power of networking.
• Actually using the healthcare system – first for the kids and second for myself.
• Learning a lot about stock markets and IPOs and caring about saving for retirement and college.
• Seeing the frustrating challenge of changing behavior with physicians (eRx, generic sampling) and later with patients.
• Getting to do more and more selling.
• Continued reinforcement of my Renaissance Man philosophy that broad is still a valuable strategy.
• Learning what doesn’t work and how not to act.  [that could be a whole book]
• McMansions.
• Disney.
• Learning about corporate politics [you could avoid that as a consultant… generally].
• Learning to play Texas Hold’Em with my friends.
• Building two houses, finishing two basements, doing remodeling.

I guess in general it’s been a good decade for me.  I’m better off.  I have a great family.  I’ve learned a lot.  I’ve grown in my career.  I’ve made lots of new friends.

At the same time, the world’s been pretty crazy, and I appreciate the sacrifices that many have made in the Armed Forces during this time.  I hope that the next decade will be much better for everyone.