Getting it right in 2015

The start of a new year is always the perfect time for reflection and setting goals. I was out of the office for a week for the holidays, and in between naps, copious amounts of cookies and wine, and time spent with family, I started thinking about what I want 2015 to look like for me – both professionally and personally. Below is just a snapshot of what I came up with – as I plan to refine these as the year goes on.

 

Trim the fat. I would venture to guess that losing weight is on top of most people’s lists of New Year’s resolutions. I don’t want to do anything crazy – it’s more about just getting healthy and feeling good every day. I plan to “trim the fat” at work, as well. There are never enough hours in a day or a week so one of my goals is to be as succinct as possible in all of my communications. When I read old press releases or blog posts I wrote even a few years back, I cringe at how overly wordy I used to be. 2015 is all about clarity and conciseness.

 

Patience is a virtue. At the NLA Leadership Summit a few weeks back, everyone had to dig deep and identify our biggest strengths and weaknesses. My biggest weakness – personally and professionally – is patience. No question. Too often, I find myself feeling anxious or impatient, even about things that don’t even matter in the grand scheme of my life.  Whether I’m decorating my new apartment or helping a co-worker, I want to keep my composure intact and focus on patience in 2015.

 

Be a sponge. This may sound generic, but 2015 is about learning for me. Professionally, I want to absorb every bit of information I can about franchising and lead generation. Luckily, I have two of the best resources for this at my disposal (Hey Nick and Sean, you reading this???). Personally, I want to expand my interests into things that will actually teach me something, not just numb my brain. Too often in my spare time, I pick up a celebrity rag to page through or flip through the channels to find a mindless romantic comedy. Over the holidays, my boyfriend and I tore through the first season of NPR’s Serial Podcast. If you’re living under a rock and aren’t familiar with it, here’s a primer to get you started. This podcast prompted hours of lively conversation between my boyfriend and I – poring over Sarah Koenig’s every word and every theory to try and solve the mystery. It captured my attention and kept my brain working during my time off and left me hungry for more. Plus, snuggling up on the couch with a glass of wine, a blanket and a podcast is such a simple pleasure that I’ve literally never enjoyed before. I plan on looking beyond my usual outlets to seek out other new, interesting and educational forms of entertainment.

 

What are your personal and professional New Year’s resolutions?