10-10-10:

10-10-10 , by Suzy Welch. Scribner, 2009, 226 pp., $24.00.
ISBN-13:978-1-4165-9182-5

Suzy takes a business trip to Hawaii and takes the kids along for the ride because, like many of us, she thought she could be superwoman. The word GUILT comes into play here big time. Like an actor, racing through character and costume changes backstage, she valiantly tries to juggle motherhood and executive duties simultaneously during the conference. One fully expects to see her burst out of a telephone booth with the words “Superwoman” emblazoned on her chest. Unfortunately, the experiment is a complete failure and, much like a Hawaiian volcano spewing molten lava, she experiences her own version of a transatlantic meltdown.

Looking back on that experience, Suzy wonders, “Why do we fight so hard to do things we really don’t want to do? And why don’t we make better decisions up front so we don’t make ourselves miserable (or broke or divorced) in the end?” Suzy’s awakening (and the 10-10-10 concept) came about on that trip early one morning as she sat on her hotel balcony, exhausted and disgusted, staring out at the sun rising above the ocean. There had to be a better way.

Suzy proceeded to examine her life and the 10-10-10 concept, which she describes as simply thinking about the effect a decision will have on your life in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years. The 10-10-10 is a flexible timeline, she states, as it could mean 5 minutes, 7 months, and 8 years. You might also call it “Stop, Think, Decide.” It’s simply a way to project the effects of a decision in the immediate, the coming months, and the long haul ahead.