JEAN PHILIP DE TENDER

Although I usually set clear goals, I don’t plan my future life and career. I never sought any job promotion; they always asked me if I wanted to take up a new, perhaps more demanding role. It doesn’t mean I was born with a caul. I did prepare a framework for it to happen.

Every five years, I make myself a mind map and take stock of where I am and how I expect my road to go in the coming years. What are the conditions that make me happy at work? Am I satisfied with my current salary, or should it be much more, or do I accept much less? Where will I take my inspiration from? What is on the bucket list? What do I expect of love? Of my love? … And I could go on!

Now and then, I look at the mind map, which informs my unconsciousness and drives my decisions. As an executive coach, it’s an exercise I often recommend to my coachees.

So, yearly resolutions are not my thing, but as I’m pondering on my new mind map, let me share some “notes” for 2024:

cook local, preferably vegetarian

I’m often on the road. I commute between Geneva and Brussels, and there are many business trips. Managing what you eat is not always easy, as often others are in command. When Filip is around, he is my preferred chef. Some buffets and diners come along the business commute. But when I need to cook for myself, I want to give it more focus.

Two books will take over my Geneva kitchen: “The Farm Table” by Julius Roberts and “Vegerabia” by Lucy and Greg Malouf.

write a second book

In 2010, I wrote and published “Alles is een verhaal” (“Everything is a story”). I still adhere to story evangelism, but with my second book, I want to do better. The book’s theme will be “managing people is managing oneself”. The plan is to write one or two chapters (in English) and see if there is any interest from publishers.

I’m an avid reader, so I may have to give up some time to achieve this.

more arts

My husband and I love the arts. We’re not always in the same place together, but we try to pick up whatever is available wherever we are. Last year I realized this is such a source of inspiration I cannot do without.