My Resolutions Begin with December 31, 2014

Think about December 31, 2014. Think about that day. Think about how you would feel about the last year. Are you happy? Are you anxious? Are you pleased with the effort you put into the year? Think about those questions with your eyes shut for a few minutes. As you keep your eyes shut, take a few breaths, and then begin writing down your feelings. Here are some of my personal and professional December 31, 2014 moments:

1. Damnit Nick, you drank too much beer. If each beer is 100 calories (probably more), and you had one per day for the year. That’s 36,500 calories. If each pound has about 3,500 calories of intake, then I added or prevented myself from dropping 10.4 lbs. And that’s if I only had 365 drinks. Rather than saying I am going to stop drinking (I really enjoy wine with dinner and to relax), I am going to commit to drinking half that amount. That’s 5.2 lbs.
2. You work, too much. That’s OK, but try to do it more efficiently. In 2013, you started time tracking yourself to gain a better understanding of your use of time. You should have put it to work. Therefore, I will commit to leave the office as close to 6 p.m. as possible so that I can enjoy meals with my wife and child more and have more face time. So long as you avoid procrastination, that project will exist the next day.
3. 2014 was a great year for you. You continued to accomplish the goals you set forth in business. However, do you feel satisfied? Hell no. Find a way to recap the special moments each month so that you can appreciate the collective effort more at the end of the year.
4. In 2012, you added Xbox to the treadmill (yes, I run while playing the Xbox, and yes, I fell a few times before training myself the skill). BUT, if you want to spend more time with your family, then commit to working out in the morning (unless you have basketball).
5. People are the game changers. Leaders have been telling you that for years.  Find a way to continue adding talent you cannot afford. They will ultimately be the ones who carry your business forward.
6. You ate too much fried food, bread and cheese this year. Stop it. Stop eating that stuff. You can splurge one day a week, but that’s it. One meal at a time.
7. You have done this before. You know what you are doing with the clients and the media in PR. You stayed ahead of the curve with Social. Now start pushing the pedal down. Let people know your story. Start treating your agency like a client. Treat it like a product. And market it.
8. Travel more for pleasure. You keep traveling for business, but find time to find time. 2014 was another year filled with tons of travel dates. Sure, you love traveling to see your clients, but see the world. Your wife will appreciate it.

The sad part is, I made most of these statements in 2012. I would imagine many of us make similar resolutions or plans to change and just don’t get around to doing it. Best practice would be changing in baby steps. I can plan to be a better man, boss, father, husband, child – but if I don’t take that first step toward improving myself, then it will leave me right at the beginning. The reverse can be said for the end. If you eat a cookie a day, you probably won’t feel too bad about yourself. However, if you look at your belly at the end of the year and realize you ate 365 cookies and gained 10lbs, you may feel slightly depressed. Think about the end first, and then take baby steps to improvement. No giant resolutions for me for 2014, just thinking about the end and following the most efficient path to success. Let’s see how I feel at the end of this year.