New Year's Resolutions? None!
I was driving to Rome, GA on New Year’s Eve to attend a funeral when I got into a discussion with my wife over what my New Year’s resolutions were going to be. I thought for a minute and simply said, “None”. After all, most of the effort I spend each year around my resolution is spent in vain as I generally alter my approach within a few days.
Now, not having resolutions for 2015 does not give me a free pass to coast and accept the status quo. It’s quite the opposite in my case. I simply plan to rededicate all my efforts in the pursuit to positively, professionally and personally impact each person I encounter this year.
There are a few things I do at the start of each year that I encourage each of you to try as you prepare to make your own impact;
Organize yourself at home and work. In other words, take a day for each and spend it wisely and carefully de-cluttering everything that will get in your way. Throw things away!
Create a list of contacts you need to make and connect in the first week.
Create a roadmap of how you want to approach your life (work, play, relationships, etc.). Nothing fancy here but decide your exercise plan, at least one vacation and how you plan to show those closest to you how much you love them.
You might say, this sounds like resolutions to me and it might for some of you. But, it is what I do each year and it works. At the very least it gives you a fighting chance as you enter the year. Once you get these few things done, you will have an immediate sense of accomplishment and this breeds energy and excitement.
If you apply this simple approach, you will experience a degree of satisfaction. If you strive to “Impact” on your own terms as laid out above, the satisfaction experienced by those you encounter simply cannot be measured in finite terms. My goals for 2015 are an extension from 2014 as mentioned earlier. If I strive to “Impact” on every touch, I have met my objectives.
As I look back on the funeral of a family member who spent her long life of 86 years putting other people’s interest over her own, I knew I had it right.
Enjoy your own “Impact” in 2015.
