Who’s your Kevin?

I love the concept of making every single day a “perfect” day.

Wait! Before you roll your eyes and click away: I know the word “perfect” can be irritating. The idea that there’s only one ideal version of something seems shortsighted and limiting, right?

That’s why I define a “perfect” day not as one ideal, where everything goes “right” or “according to plan.” To me, a perfect day is when you’re fully living your purpose and values. Your day could be an absolute mess and still be the perfect day – as long as you live it according to your purpose and values.

In many ways, I lived every day at Burning Man like it was a perfect day. Even though some days were a total sh*tstorm – literally!

One day there was a huge dust storm on the playa. So Kevin (my dear friend and Burning Man compatriot) and I decided to do our own thing instead.

We could’ve railed against the weather for “ruining” Burning Man. We could’ve been disappointed that we were “stuck” sitting on a random couch far from our camp, waiting for the storm to subside.. Instead, we sat there and thought, Yes, it’s a terrible storm, but this day can still be perfect.

And it was, in all its spontaneous, messy imperfection: A couple who were getting married stumbled in from the storm, and we got to spend time with them. Kevin, who’s a healer, was able to support some people who needed it in very special moments. Numerous art cars ablaze with lights paraded past our perch. The whole experience was unexpectedly perfect.

If we’d been wandering around pursuing the perfect day, it wouldn’t have happened. (No matter how determined we were!) But here was an entirely spontaneous opportunity to connect, support others, and live my value of maximizing human potential that day.

For me, that’s the crux of it: surrounding yourself with people who help you have that perfect day and hold you accountable to living your purpose and values.

This doesn’t just apply to singular experiences like Burning Man! This is true in the “default world”, too.

Think about the meetings you sit in all day long: Are they advancing you? Are you with people who support and challenge you? Who make you a better person? Do the people at work and at home add to or detract from your purpose and values?

It’s a very different way to think about how you spend your time!

I’m grateful I went to Burning Man with a close friend, someone on a parallel soul journey, someone willing to support me and be supported, someone I could reflect and grow with. My experience would’ve been entirely different had Kevin not said yes to his first Burn!

Surrounding myself with people like Kevin helps me have the perfect day. Every day.

What if you set out to make every day a perfect day? (Even the literal and figurative sh*tstorm days!) What would that look like? Who would be there? Who wouldn’t be there? What would you choose to do? Who’s your Kevin? 😉

By the way, I love asking about perfect days as an icebreaker. It’s fascinating to hear people’s ideas – and see how their definition shifts when I ask if how they’re spending their day aligns with their purpose and values.

So let me ask you: How will you make today a perfect day?

– Charlene

My Latest:

• How do you get an organization that’s been doing things the exact same way for over 100 years to change? Sounds impossible, right? Think again! Watch my latest livestream to learn how.

• Burning Man is a beautiful space of psychological safety – yet it all disappears the second we leave the desert. But what if we could replicate that at work? In Leading Disruption, I share how to scale this suspension of judgment within your organization.

• The “we’re in this together” attitude is great – until you take it too far. At some point, leaders must take personal responsibility for change. Tune in to my livestream on Tuesday, October 4 for a takedown of the “royal we.” 😉

• Are you going through a digital transformation? Who isn’t?!? Watch this webinar “ I did with Asana for tips on how to ensure your digital transformation is successful.

Good Things:

• Watch: My friend Laura Gassner Otting has a new TEDx video about the exquisite moment when you experience a glimpse of the wonder that lies ahead – but only if you can handle the hell that comes with the burden that plops on your shoulders. She calls it Wonderhell - and provides three ways to move through it.

• Referrals: It always feels awkward to say thank you after someone tells me they enjoyed my speech. I’ve started asking, “What was your biggest takeaway?” instead, and it’s been such a huge learning and research opportunity. Give it a try!

• Resources: If you know a geeky science person who also loves coffee, a https://voltagecoffee.com/siphon/ is a great gift! 😉It’s worth getting just to watch the whole thing happen! (Seriously, check out this video!)

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