Be Like Stu

It was Thanksgiving morning. I was sitting at my parents’ dining room table facing a slider that overlooks their backyard.  I had a perfect view of the bird feeder my Dad recently put up.  It hung from a rope and was suspended between two trees.  The house was bustling with activity but as I sipped my coffee, I tuned it out and watched a squirrel pace back and forth between the trees.  He was focused on conquering the bird feeder above.  There was seed to be had on the ground, but he wasn't satisfied with that, I could tell he wanted the prize.  Apparently, he had been on this mission for weeks and had kept my Dad busy installing a dome on top of the feeder to keep him out. He even added a suet feeder for distraction.  Still, he persisted. I watched him plot and plan and try over and over to scale the rope like a tightrope walker to get to the feeder.  He didn't give up.  As I write this, weeks later, he's probably still trying. I was so inspired by him that I had to name him. Stuart seemed fitting.  I ask my parents about him from time to time and while he hasn’t conquered the feeder yet, they shared the story of how he chewed through the zip ties strategically placed to keep the suet feeder closed and freed the entire suet cake for himself.  Hearing about that made me smile, it had to be a satisfying win for Stu. I’ll bet that even as he feasted on the nuts and seeds in that cake, he was plotting and strategizing his next moves to get to the feeder.

The start of a new year is a time for setting goals, perfecting your mindset, and reflecting on your achievements or shortcomings in 2021. I came close to meeting my professional goal last year but ultimately fell short. I wonder if the outcome would have been different if I had Stuart’s focus?   Whether you want to crush last year’s performance, buy your dream home, move out of your parent’s house, organize your basement, or just want to eat healthier and exercise more, remember Stuart in your pursuits. I have always liked Nike’s ‘Just Do It’, but in honor of his unfaltering commitment to achieve his goals, I have adopted a new slogan for the year: Be Like Stu in 2022.