New Year's Resolution* (and a Game Plan)"New Year's is a unique holiday, in that it's the only holiday that celebrates the passage of time. Perhaps that's why, as the final seconds of the year tick away, we become introspective. Inevitably, that introspection turns to thoughts of self-improvement and the annual ritual of making resolutions, which offer the first of many important tools for remaking ourselves." - Gary Ryan Blair Within the last two to three weeks many people across this great country have made what we call New Year's Resolution. Perhaps you have, too! Have you ever thought about the similarity between a 'New Year's Resolution' and the Goals or Objectives that a company establishes? Further, have you ever thought about how they are usually based on a Vision, or Mission, or Value? Yes, it's true, they do have differences, but they certainly also have similarities. The one most important similarity in my mind is that the New Year's Resolution reflects an intended desired positive result, outcome, or improvement. Wouldn't you agree that this is, indeed, similar to the intent of one of the Goals or Objectives of your company? Like many other business issues and concepts, countless books, journals, articles, etc. have been written about the subjects of Goals and Objectives as well as Vision, Mission, and Values. However, I've not seen much written about the subject of New Year's Resolutions, even though they have a long history and existence preceding today's modern businesses. And, as an annual practice involving a great many people across the annals of time, it will likely continue to be a tradition far into the future during this time of year. Recently, I viewed a web site (credits at the end of this article) that had some very sound information with permission to reprint the subject matter based on the requirements established by Mr. Blair. Those requirements are list and met at the end of this article. As a result, I hope you find the following information as interesting and informative, as I did. It represents a common sense approach that can easily be applied to both personal and business improvement. (All content provided by Mr. Blair is identified in Italic print.) The History of New Year's ResolutionsThe tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar. With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year. The New Year has not always begun on January 1, and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today. It begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had. The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts. In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned to January 1. The Julian and Gregorian calendars are solar calendars. Some cultures have lunar calendars, however. A year in a lunar calendar is less than 365 days because the months are based on the phases of the moon. The Chinese use a lunar calendar. Their new year begins at the time of the first full moon (over the Far East) after the sun enters Aquarius- sometime between January 19 and February 21. Although the date for New Year's Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year. Ancient New YearsThe celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, Babylonians celebrated the beginning of a new year on what is now March 23, although they themselves had no written calendar. Late March actually is a logical choice for the beginning of a new year. It is the time of year that spring begins and new crops are planted. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary. The Babylonian New Year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison. The Romans continued to observe the New Year on March 25, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun. In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the New Year. Tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the New Year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days. Good Luck Tradition - United StatesThe kiss shared at the stroke of midnight in the United States is derived from masked balls that have been common throughout history. As tradition has it, the masks symbolize evil spirits from the old year and the kiss is the purification into the New Year. Let's begin with the top ten resolutions made by those responding to a survey conducted by the people at the web site. As you review them consider how they related to your organizational goals. Top Ten
Life Will Not Go According To Plan If You Do Not Have a PlanDeep down, we all know that success begins with a well-conceived plan. And I know that you can and will achieve more in the next year than you have in the past ten years with a well executed personal strategic plan. Personal strategic planning is a disciplined thought process, which produces fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide who you are, where you are going, what you do, and how, when and why you do it. In order for you to live a life that includes financial independence, excellent health, world travel, balanced living, and peace of mind, you'll need a solid game plan. SAME GOES FOR ANY COMPANY, DIVISION, DEPARTMENT, TEAM, OR INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS! HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! - MAY YOU RECRUIT, RETAIN, RESPECT, AND RECOGNIZE THE BEST PEOPLE; MAY YOUR CUSTOMERS CONTINUE TO BE LOYAL TO YOU; MAY YOUR STAKEHOLDER'S EXPECTATIONS BE EXCEEDED; & MAY YOU HAVE THE MOST PROFITABLE YEAR EVER (until next year) *Reprint Policy for this Information - any material on this website may be reprinted as long as the following reference source is included.
Provided by Collyn L. DeNio, Founder and Owner of Victory43, Inc., a Human Capital Consulting Firm located in Denver, Colorado. You may feel free to contact him at 303-883-5442 or cldenio@comcast.net. |