By Scott Westerman
School starts at MSU on Monday. The dorms are brimming with kids who can’t wait to get rid of their parents. Text books are flying out of the bookstores and tomorrow begins a brand new year of enlightenment, inside and outside the classroom.
For my business friends, you too are probably deeply ensconced in budgets by now. You’re already trying to predict what your marketplace will look like and how you’ll position your resources to capitalize on it… and forecast your success with month by month precision.
So today is a perfect time for some New Year’s Resolutions! What are yours? Here are mine!
- I am committed to a regular fitness plan that will give me more energy. I’ll be in the gym at least three times a week. I will cut my Coke and junk food intake in half. Within 90 days, I will have dropped 15 pounds and will have a routine in place to maintain the healthy lifestyle I preach.
- I will continue to prioritize the most important people in my life: Colleen, Shelby, Brandon, Stephanie and Mike, and those old and new friends who give more than they get. Date night will remain sacrosanct – Wednesday evenings.
- I will update the bucket list and start working on it now.
- By the end of fiscal 2010-2011 (June 30, 2011) we will have increased membership in MSUAA by 20%. Our Net Promoter Score will be in the high 70s and we will become one of the best places to work in Michigan.
- I will benchmark three additional best-in-class service companies and incorporate what I learn into my leadership philosophy and operational culture.
- I promise to take vacation, beginning with a week of meditation and renewal, just for me, in October.
- I will compassionately avoid energy suckers and embrace and encourage fellow joy seekers.
- The book will be printed before Homecoming!
- I will schedule myself to get eight hours of sleep a night. (Yeah.. I know that feels like a pipe dream, but I’m really gonna try!)
- I will face all unpleasant realities, yet never lose faith in the ultimately favorable outcome.
- I will forgive those who hurt me and forgive myself for my many screw-ups and imperfections.
- I will endeavor to live the Spartan Life every day and work on modeling the behavior for others.
Since I’m sharing all this with you, my accountability buddies, I hereby empower you to call me out if I’m not living up to any of these commitments, or any other commitments you think should go along with them. Feedback is the breakfast of champions so consider this an “all you can eat” restaurant.
There’s one more resolution. I’ll be happy to be your confidential accountability buddy, too. If you wish, send me your own personal New Year’s Resolutions. I’ll check up on you from time to time to see how you’re doing.
Have a great week… and Happy New Year!
Hmmm… Great food for thought, but even more food for action. I guess I should slice up a pie of my own pie and try some on for size.
Great list and perhaps we can help each other stay on track (once I get mine put together)!
Love This!!
Hi Scott,
I never got the chance before, but I wanted to say thanks again for giving me some of your time right before I left MSU Alumni Career Services to talk about social media and communicating to others. I really do think the world of you and how you lead and empower others, and how you utilize a variety of communication tools to reach others in a positive way.
I’ve begun a 2nd blog, the “Wednesday Wake Up”, to compliment my “Motivate.Inspire.Do” blog in order to help me reach others and learn more about ways in which we can help others and make each other, and the world around us, a better place. I’m also looking to create a central hub for all of my different social media accounts, and I checked into the suggestions you gave me — they were great resources.
For my New Year’s Resolution, I will:
I will continue to train for my Capital City River Run Half-Marathon in Lansing, and I will begin circuit training starting in October to maintain the healthy lifestyle I’ve worked to create for myself.
Consequently, I will run the Fifth Third River Bank run in Grand Rapids in the spring and run a 25k for the first time.
I will create the “Career Crew” a student group of WMU student leaders and peer educators committed to implementing and executing career development programming for the College of Engineering & Applied Sciences.
I will reach out and create new relationships with employers — locally, regionally, and nationally — to partner with our institution and college and create opportunities for our students.
I will start a weekly “date night” tradition with my new wife. : )
I will buy a chest freezer for our basement so we can buy and freeze local produce in addition to beef and poultry in bulk.
I will teach a Career Development course to first-year students this spring.
I will see Wicked at Miller Auditorium on WMU’s campus, and I will make it to East Lansing to see a MSU Basketbll game this winter.
Feel free to contact me and check up on me later in the year.
Take care!
Chris