TEMPUS FUGIT

“I’ve always found it fascinating how, as a child, the countdown of days to a particular event appeared to be interminable yet, as an adult, tempus fugit”

So, it’s June and the wedding season is in full swing with a procession of events, each merging into the next. And whilst the majority of these events may not necessarily boast any distinguishing features they do etch a permanent groove in the life line of the happy couple.

I’m also celebrating an anniversary this week; one year since the launch of my new company brand; Prospettiva. Last year we celebrated in style with an evening of glitz, glamour, magicians, choirs, a live band and dancing!  This year we decided to treat ourselves to a slap up meal in an exclusive restaurant, and what a great evening, although it was a much more relaxed affair when compared to last year’s gala; I didn’t have a 30 minute speech to rattle off and a mic that kept misbehaving just minutes before an armada of family, friends and customers were due to walk into the room.

In my post about the event last year, I remarked on how ‘happy’ stories, especially with us cynical Brits, weren’t necessarily the best because there was no conflict (between good and evil), no adversity to overcome, and there aren’t many people out there who want to read about a goody two shoes for whom everything is going splendidly well.  And before you find yourself affronted by my statement, fear not, it’s actually something that is ingrained in many of us.

I even wrote one of a Different Angle’s most popular posts about it THINGS WE LOSE IN THE FIRE (of life)

Despite that, I have to confess that, whilst much shorter than most Sunday posts, this one follows a similar positive theme because things are good. I can’t write about a villain because, right now, there isn’t one, apart from the usual challenges of running a busy company but that’s about it.

I am blessed.

We had a lot to celebrate last night. It wasn’t just our anniversary but it was also the culmination of our first year as a new brand with a completely new infrastructure, featuring a paperless ‘office’ and a team that work from

separate locations (at home) and meet just once a week in one location for a staff meeting. Over the past year, the Prospettiva team, on behalf of its customers, has delivered business analysis, project scoping,

Prospettiva celebrates one year since its evolution to the new brand

implementation plans, software installation and configuration, project management, training and consultancy, business change as well as hefty savings, all by the power of the cloud, and site visits of course.   Many of our long term customers, who have been with us for over a decade, didn’t even notice that we no longer had an office in the heart of Cambridge. In fact, we recently conducted customer satisfaction surveys (the first of their kind in the decades we’ve been in business) and the majority told us that our service has improved and is now much better.

Needless to say that I am absolutely delighted with the result. When I decided to take a gamble and change our business model, I had a vision but I also had my doubts.

It’s certainly been a challenging year but a very good one, much better that even I had predicted, with Prospettiva landing another major account just before close of business Friday, it’s as if our new customer knew we were out celebrating the following day. I also had it confirmed last night that the third largest software house in the world has noticed my relatively small company and we’re now the first to sell a major new product.

One dream, one vision, one year.

I’ve always found it fascinating how, as a child, the countdown of days to a particular event appeared to be interminable yet, as an adult, tempus fugit (time flees) , like it has to be somewhere else when all I want it to do is stop, kick back, take a rest. There’s no hurry!

But it isn’t listening.

This last year has flown by and I get the feeling this is pretty much going to be the theme as I skid towards middle age.

This week I collected another reason to contemplate my mortality when I discovered a manuscript on my machine that was written over 10 years ago.

One decade.

The interesting thing about this particular manuscript is that it’s complete. It’s the first draft of a full manuscript that needs probably a few more drafts before it’s ready for publication yet the various paths that life has pushed me on had me leave this particular story, a supernatural thriller about the haunting of a book publisher and his family, behind.

Until now…

Well, if I was reminded of anything last night it was that time flies and I decided that I didn’t want to wake up on the morning of next year’s anniversary and discover that I hadn’t given the real love of my life the care and attention that it deserves.

It has become clear to me and, the above assessment has confirmed, that whilst they’ll still be the usual challenges at the office, Prospettiva is well set as an organisation now; our infrastructure is solid, business is good, we’re well set for future growth and, hopefully, continued prosperity. Which means I don’t think the company is going to miss me if I take a few weeks off from time to time not to golf (which in my opinion is a good walk, spoiled) but to devote myself to my favourite craft; writing.

So, I dusted off my manuscript, ‘Unspeakable’, and I’ve already convened a manuscript working group of 10.

What’s this?

It’s a focus group of readers, not unlike a book club, who will take the manuscript, read it from cover to cover and then get together with me over tea and cake to give me their impression. It’s a somewhat unorthodox practice because most writers are very possessive about their unpublished material, primarily because we want it to be the best that it can be. I’ve taken this theory one step further and believe that input from the core audience of readers is one step closer to making it the best that it can be.

Then, when this is done, it will be onward and upward with more research for Coming up For Air and final completion on the non-fiction manuscript about relationships that everybody can relate to.

If last year was busy then this this year is going to be even busier. There’ll be good there’ll bad, there’ll be ups and there will be downs but this is how we grow, this is how we stretch and this is how, when we look back we will have etched our mark that says, “I was here”.

“Don’t put off to tomorrow what you could do today”.

Have a book reading Sunday 🙂

OTHER POSTS YOU MAY LIKE:  THE DEATH OF MARRIAGE  / THE GAMES WE PLAY / LIVING WITH THE DEVIL /  SURRENDERED LIVES / ARE YOU AN ENABLER? / TOXIC FRIENDS