Hopefully, Thanksgiving reminded us that we have much to be thankful for and grateful for. Whatever the last two years brought you – whether it was joy or sorrow, happiness or grief, fulfillment or soul-searching – the year is over and done with. It’s time to look ahead and begin making plans for the future. Time really does march on and gives us the opportunity to start over.

New Year’s resolutions are really goals we set for the coming year. By setting them we try to map out a course of action we can follow on the road to personal growth and fulfillment. Resolutions help us plan, organize and schedule our lives. They bring our true dreams and wishes into clearer focus. They set us up for success.

Try these resolutions on for size. I think you’ll be able to keep them on the road to a great 2022.

• If you are a leader, supervisor, or manager, resolve to:

Help your people learn, grow and develop. Hold regularly scheduled meetings that promote interaction and teamwork. Let your team know you are human, that you weren’t born a manager. Get to know everyone on the team on an individual basis. Be willing to listen and learn from others. Catch people doing something right and praise them for it. Remove barriers that so often exist between leaders and employees and work together towards common goals.

• If you are a mid-career employee and have been on the job for a while, resolve to:

Help train new employees. Volunteer for new and exciting challenges. Treat co-workers with the same respect and courtesy you expect from them. Help customers and clients meet their needs in a timely, professional manner. Meet your boss halfway. Be willing to see both sides of work-related issues. Keep a cool head and your emotions under control. Practice honest and open two-way communication and use your listening skills to learn. Realize you can always add to your knowledge base.

• If you are in the job market looking for a new position, resolve to:

Update and get your resume together. Contact friends, relatives, former co-workers who might have some leads. Pay attention to your appearance – buy that new suit or dress that will help you make the positive first impression you’ll need to make with interviewers. Resolve to persevere, keeping in mind that good luck is the residue of hard work. And as difficult as it can sometimes be, stay patient.

• If you are a recent graduate, resolve to:

Do some soul-searching before you accept “any old job.” Decide what you really want to do and pursue it. If you don’t know, take a personal inventory. Read the book “What Color is Your Parachute?” by Richard Nelson Bolles. Don’t rush into the first position that comes along. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses, needs and wants, and then give it your best shot. Realize that the workplace is different from school – everything you will do and say counts in building your reputation.

Resolve to do everything you can to make 2022 a better, more productive, more effective, and healthier year than the previous two have been. Look forward with optimism, belief, and faith that things will improve.

And because we are all interconnected in the larger scheme of things and no one really works in a vacuum, maybe we all need to resolve to be kinder, more tolerant, and more understanding of one another on an everyday basis. Let’s give it a try!

Neil will be presenting two educational sessions at our February 2022 CSMFO Annual Conference. “Ten Essential Ways to Show Authentic Appreciation” and “20 Characteristics of Great Teams & How You Can Make a Difference by being a Successful Communicator”. If you have not registered for the February conference, take a minute to do so now.