December 24, 2025, by Todd Paetznick
It’s Christmastime! This is the time of year when our minds turn toward giving and generosity. But what if our good attitude could last the entire year? What if giving and generosity toward others were to continue for the other 364 days? Imagine the difference we could make in the world.
The good of the community is achieved one person at a time. If we each do something good for the person in front of us, a lot of good would result. Our communities would be better. Community good is achieved when lots of people choose to think and act in ways that benefit others first. As a side benefit, we often discover that our altruistic acts lead to benefits for us too. The good we do for others tends to help us as well. This help often comes in ways we cannot ever imagine.
Business and personal decisions are often made based on what we think is best for us. This is how we have been taught to think and evaluate our choices. The best outcomes are quantifiable and immediately measurable, or so we have come to believe. But often, our measurements do not account for everything, and sometimes they miss their long-term effects and benefits. This is where the best leaders shine. They can look beyond the short-term to what might be. They envision possibilities for people, their companies, and their communities.
In our personal lives, if we plan to sell our house, we may be less likely to make significant improvements. The return on our home improvement investments is measured against what potential buyers are willing to pay. Short-term outcomes likely to increase the value of our home take priority. The repairs we make and the maintenance we do often reflect our short-term attitudes, especially when we are selling. We might plaster over a crack in a wall rather than address an underlying structural defect. We are more likely to postpone dealing with the problem. This leaves it for someone else to worry about later. Avoiding the core issue halts genuine solutions. Doing the right thing, however, fixes the actual problem. Doing the right thing may carry short-term pain, but it benefits everyone over the long term.
In our communities, we might not care as much about the neighborhood, traffic, or local schools if we do not plan to live there very long. When we intend to stay in one place for a long time, our time becomes a worthwhile investment. Our effort also becomes a worthwhile investment. These investments benefit the people in our community and us as well. Our involvement may include local civic organizations to improve the schools, parks, and streets. Participation in our local churches can address our community’s spiritual needs. Getting involved and making a difference for good is what we should be doing.
In business, our goal is often to time market forces. We aim to enter transactions to achieve and exceed both personal and corporate ambitions. Company executives prioritize quarterly results. They do what they can to move business into the current fiscal quarter. This is done to please the company owners and maximize their own bonuses. This practice is beneficial if all stakeholders’ long-term benefits are considered. Personal incentives must also be correctly set. By providing valuable goods and services, the company can generate a profit. As a result, the company can grow and hire more people. This benefits individuals and the community as a whole.
The Christmastime attitude of generosity and a focus on doing good for others can last the entire year. The attitude leads to actions that make our world a better place!
Merry Christmas!
Todd Paetznick is a Business Coach who helps small- and medium-sized organizations flourish. He is an implementer of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a business optimization framework that has helped thousands of organizations achieve new success and long-term sustained growth. His company, Invert Business Coaching, helps people and their organizations reach their full potential. Todd is also in leadership with CBMC, the Christian Business Men’s Connection, where he manages the Trusted Advisor Forums (TAF) for the metro Atlanta area.
toddpaetznick.com 