In yesterday’s post, I drew inspiration from Work Harder Day to encourage you to help others. I thought I’d keep the ball rolling by focusing on a few more quirky holidays.

With at least three designated celebrations-of-sorts assigned to today’s date, January 13 seems to be something of a day of contractions. Depending on how you look at it, today could be a day to relax and bring out your playful side, get busy on working towards goals, or squint your eyes in hesitation and distrust of everything I suggest.

Rubber Duckie Day

As a leader and most likely a full-blown grown-up, you may wonder how the recognition of Rubber Duckie Day can benefit you in the slightest. And while you may not see any reason to celebrate the “occasion,” inspiration and motivation are often best cultivated when you’re relaxed, unstressed, and enjoying yourself. Try to inject a little playtime, laughter, or R&R into your day to embrace the spirit of the rubber duck.

Make Your Dreams Come True Day

Now here’s a day an aspiring or established WOW leader can instantly relate to. We all have goals and dreams of both a career and personal nature, most of which are hopefully outlined in a Goal Sheet for 2013. While “making your dreams come true” sounds more like the stuff of Disney or fairytales than that of a practical, workable reality, the point of a day like today is to expand your way of thinking towards a more positive, all-things-are-possible attitude. Perhaps it’s too tall an order to accomplish all your end goals today…but you can use the inspiration behind the day to kick your dream-making into high gear. Push yourself to leap full-force into actions that will take you where you ultimately want to be.

International Skeptics Day

Still not convinced? If you’re leery about the leadership relevance of Rubber Duckie Day or Make Your Dreams Come True Day, then you’ll probably appreciate International Skeptics Day, which is also on the books as a holiday today. Being a bit skeptical, especially of business propositions or ideas that are “a sure thing,” “can’t-miss,” or “the best kept secret,” is probably a good thing. Any leader worth her salt knows when to trust her intuition and be skeptical of empty or over-exaggerated promises. But you’ve also got to trust your gut and take a chance on legitimate, calculated risks. Don’t let skepticism of success prevent you from moving forward with your dreams.

Life itself is often a series of contradictions, just like today’s eclectic mix of wacky holidays. As a leader, you need to sort out what’s relevant and valuable as you go, and seize each opportunity as it presents itself.

–Sheri Staak