Welcome to 2020- a new Decade!

I stopped making resolutions many years ago.."we all go through those 'phases' ", my Mom used to call them.. she also cautioned me to "Never Say Never". My Mom was a wealth of great advice and memorable ways to announce it. I am starting 2020 with some 'doozies'.

A business is a baby- a demanding, growing entity that can suck the life out of the ones in charge of its care. Business babies also have stages and phases, and Graphically Deb has just hit the "Terrible Two's" We have grown to a point where growth costs more than it returns. Where you have to dig in and do the extra hours so eventually you will come out on the other side with a larger staff and more overhead, And the option to have an impact on the communities you serve. And finally- a greater return on your investment. As I am typing today-- New Years Eve 2019, most folks are celebrating, and yes, I worked on Christmas Day as well. Because, Also like a baby, this time is limited and I love nurturing a company that provides products and services that support other companies and projects. It can help grow our community. It gives me something to reach for, something to learn. I LOVE this, even on the days that my head hurts and I need a nap, and probably a shower. As I pondered which I should do,

A. Write Proposals, and complete some documents and templates for my reps.. or

B. Work on a course that I need to complete to take my skills to the next level...

I allowed my brain to wander. That happens when I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and am now working on

C. Do a Blog Post while pondering S.M.A.R.T. Resolutions

S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for entrepreneurs to consider whenever setting goals or making resolutions.

S-- Specific (Goals must be clear and unambiguous)

M-- Measurable (Results must be able to be measured in some way, for example, the number of products sold each week, or the percent completion)

A-- Attainable (Goals must be realistic and attainable by the average employee)

R-- Relevant (Goals must relate to your organization's vision and mission)

T-- Time-bound (Goals must have definite starting and ending points, and a fixed duration)

While I feel using S.M.A.R.T. when crafting our future, INC magazine has determined that S.M.A.R.T. might be a bit dated and that we should also focus on C.L.E.A.R. Goals. You can read that article and decide for yourself.

~Peter Economy