Welcome to 2012, the start of a new year. So what will your New Year’s Resolution be? It’s the perfect time to turn a new page. (Please, wait till you get to the end of the column before turning this page!) New Years always gives us a fresh start. It’s our annual opportunity to eliminate bad habits. It’s our chance to start new routines to make us healthy, wealth and wise. Of course, resolutions are much easier to make than to keep. By the end of January many will have abandoned their resolve and settled back into old patterns. Will this be you or will this be the year your resolve outweighs your temptations?
Millions always try to lose weight or stop smoking. Isn’t this the number-one goal of everyone, to be healthier? So this year, be honest with yourself. Select a more realistic goal to set your sights on. For example, commit to losing 10 pounds instead of just saying I am going to lose weight. This is an achievable goal. For you smokers… don’t try and do it overnight. Why not resolve to cut back on your smoking and set a time line to quit? Choosing an achievable goal gives you the opportunity to actually achieve something rather than being a failure again and feeling worse about yourself.
Like many people, I procrastinate and put things off from time to time. “Oh, I’ll start it later,” is my great mantra. Just ask my managing editor, Frank! He is always wanting my copy in earlier. So this year, I am going to resolve to get my copy in way before deadline. I can hear them snickering now in the production department. But that is my New Year’s resolution. Maybe I’ll lose those extra pounds from last year. I know I can do these things. New Years will give me the strength of resolve to achieve what I can’t seem muster during the rest of the year. It’s my make-or-break opportunity for self-improvement.
So my suggestion to you is, don’t try to take on too much. The most common reason many New Year’s resolutions fail is when people try to do too much at once. Greatly reducing caloric intake, overdoing it at the gym and radically altering normal behavior are sure-fire ways to derail your plans. Instead, focus on taking tiny steps. This will ultimately help you achieve your larger goal. Just remember, if you fail, get back on the horse and start riding again. Ride that horse till you reach a goal this year! Have no fears, regrets or hesitation. Move forward and get something done even if you have two or three momentary lapses.
Remember, this is not a race to the finish. Those unhealthy habits you’re trying to change took years to develop. How can you expect to change them in a matter of weeks or days? It will take you a long time to achieve your goals, but once you make the commitment to change a bad habit it’s something worth fighting for the rest of your life. The path toward your goal is not a straight one. There will always be challenges. Instead, view relapses as learning opportunities. If your current approach is not working, re-evaluate your strategies and develop a new plan.
By February, most people will lose their initial spark of motivation. So as a wise man once said, “Keep hope alive!” Keep your inspiration alive at whatever goal you have set. Take 2012 by storm. Whether you set your goals, high or low, continue to work to improve. The feeling of accomplishment will be your reward and make completing those goals that much sweeter.
What does 2012 hold for us as an industry? I don’t have a crystal ball, but I do have a Magic 8-Ball! I keep asking it what to expect and it continues to say the same thing in regards to LEDs, “Ask again later.”
Predicting what is going to come in 2012 seems straightforward — LEDs. It’s been the same answer for the last couple of years. What about them, specifically? Think Leko, think brighter, hope for less expensive. The last two are a given. As technology advances, the price should decrease. Not to say that future products will be cheaply made, but priced to sell. As for Lekos, check out this months Buyers Guide, it explains it all.
Understanding the future may seem just as hard as keeping your resolutions. With a little help and determination, both are achievable. If all else fails, consult the Magic 8-Ball… “Ask again later.”
