Glancing Back, Glancing Ahead

January 1, 2012





2012. It’s here now and we couldn’t do anything to stop it. Maybe the Mayans will exact their revenge later this year and doom us to live in molten lava or crushing earthquakes or the aftermath of a meteor storm.

But for now, we’re sitting in 2012 on a beige couch wondering if we should have woken up earlier so we could attend Boston Media Makers.

To that end – and yes, I’m going to stop using ‘we’ as a royal statement right now to quell any confusion – 2012 might be the year of self-focus. Not inward navel gazing…too much of that happens in social media already. Further, the folks who gaze inwardly too much lose sight of the world around them. Self-focus in 2012 is more a statement of achievement for me. Instead of trying to get people to like me, I’m going to continue to be the charming, sarcastic and caring person I’ve always been and if people don’t feel like talking to me or acknowledging my existence, I’ll just feel sorry for their loss.

Self-focus will also mean setting some goals and pushing them forward. Instead of lamenting the fact that deadlines or opportunities slipped passed, I’ll be grabbing onto more threads this year. I expect my speaking and training schedule to grow, I also expect to grow as a person with the chance to meet a lot of smart folks at events all over the world.

Some of the major items on my to-do list are related to home and private life. We’re renovating our house and that’s going to be a focus. I’m also paying a lot more attention to the long term when it comes to my relationships. That’s a good thing too. But some of these things have an opportunity cost. Not to ramble back to the first paragraph, but if I’ve got stuff to do, I’m going to be quicker to say no.

More time for the people and events that matter to me will help me create a better, more successful and focused Jeff for the whole world to enjoy.

So, 2012, here we go. Let’s have some fun this year, shall we?

What are your veiled or clearly stated resolutions for the coming year?