Editor's Note

What’s Left to Do When There’s Nothing Left to Do?

If you’ve ever found yourself in this predicament, what did you do?

Published

3 months ago

June 23, 2023

Deirdre Carroll Invision June 2023 Issue

I AM ABOUT TO share a very fi rst world problem I’ve been struggling with lately: Now what?

I’ve spent most of my adulthood in pursuit. Pursuit of achievement. Pursuit of advancement. Pursuit of milestones …

Graduate college, get a job, advance in my career, become editor-in-chief … Save money, put away for retirement, buy a home … Buy a car, adopt a dog, fall in love.

Check. Check. Check. So now what?

When I was younger I set a bunch of goals for myself. At the time, they seemed lofty and signifi cant; some even seemed impossible. But what happens when you’ve achieved your goals and you still got all this life to live? Especially when no new goals … or dreams … have presented themselves?

I’ve talked to some loved ones and mentors about it. Their advice ranges from enjoy what you’ve accomplished and get a hobby to start dreaming new dreams … which is easier said than done. Just being content seems like a lovely idea but when you’ve spent the better part of the last two decades focused on achievement it’s just sort of … hard … and anti-climactic. If you’ve ever found yourself in this predicament, what did you do?

Recently, I’ve been scratching the itch by tweaking things. Small improvements work when you’re generally happy but can’t leave well enough alone. Your patient’s journey through your eyecare business is one of those things you can tweak indefi nitely. Whether you’re looking for a complete overhaul or just looking to scratch that “what’s next” itch, our Big Story (page 32) has some ideas to fi ne tune your fl ow. Or you could learn a new language … we’ve got some inspo for that in Best of the Best (page 44).

Of course, tweaking only works for so long, but eventually it always come back to now what?

Best wishes for your business,

Power Yogaing My Way to Metamorphosis

Five Smart Tips From This Issue

1The kids might be out of school now but that will change faster than you think. Still looking for ideas for a Back-to-School promo? (Manager’s To-Do, page 18)
Artificial intelligence and virtual reality are happening. Catch up on the latest. (Better Vision, page 28)
Wondering about the pros and cons of sharing sales figures with your vendors? Other ECPs share their approaches. (Do You or Don’t You, page 53)
An argument for never holding a sale again. (Columns, page 48)
Last year women drove over 75% of the Father’s Day conversation and we already know they make the majority of eyewear purchasing decisions. What do your dad’s day promos look like? (Benchmarks, page 50)

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