How to Get Your Year Started in 2012

A new year brings optimism, usually for new opportunities, regardless of what is taking place in your life and career.  We think about change when we hear the phrase New Year’s Resolutions.  Is this how you are approaching 2012?

For many, 2011 was a difficult year.  If you listen to the media you will probably also hear negatives about the upcoming year.  However, stepping back and taking a broader perspective we see that there appears to be some improvements.  Holiday retails sales have been strong.  Unemployment is slightly lower.  The European economic situation, while still not clear, does seem to have a ray of hope.  The media is paid to report on what will get more attention, and “bad news” does appear to gain viewers.  Our incremental improvements may not have a great deal of news impact, but for businesses who are making decisions about the future, and for people who are in an active job search, the facts do offer optimism.

If your organization has been slow to take advantage of opportunities because of uncertainty, do the current indicators give you sufficient confidence to plan and implement activities that could lead to a stronger future?  There are talented individuals who would love to help you make this happen.  How will you identify them?  How will you make certain they are a good fit for your organization?  Making a hiring mistake can be expensive – not only in monetary terms, but in terms of lost opportunities.  How effective will your recruiting efforts be?

If you are in an active job search, a renewed effort to reach out to potential employers early in the new year could lead to success.  What is important to you at this time?  Is it finding a job and a paycheck?  Or is it finding a career that you can be passionate about?  These are decisions that only you can make. Remember, networking continues to be very important.

Those organizations and those individuals who identify what is most important, then develop and follow a program to make certain they are working toward attaining it in the new year will be the most successful – and yes, the happiest.

2012 has the potential to be year of significance.  How are you going to approach it?  It is solely your decision.  Seth Godin, in a recent blog, asked the question:  “How little can I get away with vs. How much can I do?”  What a wonderful, insightful question for us to ask ourselves as we begin a new year.