The Clean Slate Club

I woke up yesterday ready to tackle the day and all of a sudden I felt like I was hit by a Mack truck after discovering my Mac computer would not turn on. My hard drive crashed and I lost all of my files, every single one. The "Mac Genius" at the Apple store said, "When you get it back it will be like a brand new computer."

It goes without saying, I should have my files backed up, but I do not. So, I am starting with a clean slate.

Maybe that's not such a bad thing. Maybe a fresh start is exactly what I need. A brand new set of files, a brand spanking new resume, and a brand new way of organizing my work. A clean slate.

When we would set out to create a new business plan, my boss would tell us to "start with a clean piece of paper." Meaning, don't just dust off an old file, bring something new to the table. Start with a clean slate.

My personal trainers at Precision Nutrition also have a clean slate policy. If you miss a lesson, skip or have a less than perfect workout, or even indulge a little too much on your diet, you're forgiven. You don't look back and beat yourself up, you just pick up where you left off. You instantly get a clean slate.

I attended a Webinar this week with business consultant Carrie Wilkerson, The Barefoot Executive. She was coaching the audience on risk taking and said something along the lines of, "You win some, you learn some." I think that was my take home lesson of the week. Not everything is going to go as planned. Every risk you take isn't going to be a home run, just find the lesson and move on. Wipe that slate clean.

When I got home from the Apple store, I took a deep breath, booted up my computer and pushed the "RESTART" button. I was greeted by the word "Welcome" and a bright blue, blank screen ready to fill up with some brand new ideas. And for the first time in quite a while, I felt rather optimistic.

To help me remember how good it feels to have a fresh start, I decided to begin the Clean Slate Club. You might be a good candidate for membership if you ever encounter a technology glitch, a nutrition slip up, a skipped workout, a business challenge, or any place you need to hit the RESTART button. I think we should borrow Carrie's quote for our team motto: "The Clean Slate Club...where you win some, you learn some."

So, welcome to day one of the Clean Slate Club! I better roll up my sleeves and put my "new" Mac to work. My first plan of attack? I'm going to hit up Mr. Clean to be our team mascot, I hear he has a Magic Eraser.