A day or so before New Year’s Eve, a friend shared with me a photograph of an unusual guest to her yard: a white squirrel she’d nicknamed “Blanche,” which means “white” in French. The moment I saw the photo, it resonated with me, yet I wasn’t sure why. I’ve been drawn to it every day since. What lesson or message was she projecting in time for the New Year?
Most of us know squirrels to be furry little rodents with bushy tails scurrying about with frantic energy, sometimes a nuisance when finding refuge in our attics and storage areas. But let’s look deeper into their existence and behavior for a moment. They don’t hibernate, necessitating the need to store food for the winter months when resources are scarce, and plants and trees are dormant. From this behavior the squirrel offers us a model for consistently preparing for the future, judging how much to consume versus how much to save and store.
Mother Nature equips most squirrels with fur coloring that camouflages them from predators. In the Southern United States, their winter fur is most often a brownish gray helping them to blend in with dormant trees. Their fur will change in Spring to a brighter brown or red, as colorful vegetation begins to emerge. In Northern climates their fur colors will vary from their southern relatives according to the vegetation and tree growth in a given region. Yet, in this photo is a squirrel without such adaptive protection. She is white year-round, making her life as a prey animal a bit more challenging. I do note that this particular little ball of fur is an adult squirrel, proving she has already learned and adopted additional survival techniques necessitated by her high visibility.
Squirrels are also quite sociable. This is apparent when playing chase with other squirrels or playfully taunting our pet dogs and cats while staying just out of reach. They are highly emotive and emotional, chattering and communicating dangers to any and all other animals in the area. Squirrels are also highly observant of other beings in the surrounding trees and will even imitate the manner in which other species collect and gather food if deemed successful.
So why does this animal with her unique appearance resonate with me? What questions does little Blanche ask of me as I make plans for the New Year?
Have I been too active lately or perhaps not active enough? How might I adapt my schedule?
Do I need to start planning or should I perhaps review the effectiveness of my plans for the coming year?
Do I find myself intentionally wanting to stand out in some capacity? If so, how does that impact plans I want to make going forward?
Have I gathered enough back-up resources? Or, perhaps, is it time to purge things due to a desire for a fresh start?
Questions for leaders or entrepreneurs:
Have you reviewed the effectiveness of your previous team goals or is it time to set new goals?
Is it time to stand out? If so, how can you find ways to set your team or your business apart?
How well is your marketing communicating your message? Is it time to review your approach or perhaps make a new marketing and communications plan?
Is your company considering restructuring? If so, how can you redesign your team’s approach, or perhaps pivot your priorities to align with the resources you have or will have on hand once your company’s changes are made?
*Many thanks to Janey Hall for allowing me to feature her photo of “Blanche.”