My Business Plan for the Soul: 2015

Ugh…resolutions.

People are still making them. And some are even distilling them to 140 characters or #hashtags and posting them on Twitter.

But they are so binary. And often broken.

So, here I sit at the end of 365 days, having recapped 2014, and ruminating about the next 12 months. I’m also working on my company‘s plan for the year, so I figured, what the hell…I’ll just use the same basic concept. I’ll write my personal business plan. I’m not going to do it in PowerPoint, but I will use bullets. They’re just so simple and tidy.

• OBJECTIVE: Be happy, healthy, connected (in meaningful ways) and wise.
• TARGET MARKET: Me and the people I love. And those who I will grow to love over 2015. Or, at least like a lot.
• MEASURES OF SUCCESS: Smiles and laughter (mine and those of the people around me), ability to sleep well and have incredible energy and focus during waking hours, inner peace. Leave a mark on the world (even a small one).
• STRATEGY: Be genuine. Be kind. Be inspirational. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Avoid toxic people and things.

TACTICS:

1. Rewire my body and brain. Not literally. I’m not Robocop. But I’ll continue to experiment with food, exercise, supplements, and other physical and mental “stuff” to slow down aging and help me feel stronger, smarter, and more focused. I may even do a retreat of some kind. (Can you imagine me actually sitting still and meditating for more than 30 minutes?)
2. Be social. I made some great new friends (business and personal) in 2014. I need to be better at keeping up with my old friends too. I joined a Book Club. I continue to speak to strangers everywhere I go. New people always teach you new things. And old friends always have your back. I’ve been volunteering and mentoring too. I hope to inspire and provoke new thinking. And I’ll always be a mom — hopefully a better one each year. (I’ve perfected my meddling and embarrassment skills by now. They’re part of the job description.)
3. Improve my STEM abilities (or at least the T and the M). I’m much more focused on business math and my personal budget than ever before, and I’m learning one new app or some cool technological thing each month. It helps me at work, saves me time and money, and will keep my brain fresh. (See #1.)
4. Take advantage of more cultural opportunities. Bravo may be relaxing at the end of a long day, but paper books, The New Yorker (to which I still subscribe — on paper, in the mail!) are still pretty damned wonderful. I even have theater tickets lined-up, and I have this cool app on my phone. If you download it too, use code NTSRC when you buy tix and we’ll both get discounts. Who doesn’t love a good bargain? I plan to see every Oscar-nominated movie and add at least one book to my GoodReads shelf each month. (That’s not a resolution, mind you. Just a 2015 soul objective.)
5. Explore. Traveling and risk-taking are essential. I will never jump out of a plane. But I’m pretty much open to anything else. (Only 1 in 8 million jumps ends in a fatality. But it’s still not appealing to me. Maybe in 2025)
6. Laugh. Out loud. (Did you know laughing actually improves ones immune system. I don’t plan to guffaw constantly…just be sure to surround myself with people and things that provoke at least a smirk, grin, titter, or chortle.
7. Write. Often.

I won’t have to report my monthly progress to shareholders or a Board as 2015 progresses, but I will be accountable to myself. After all, I have a 60 year investment in this brain and body. As we used to say in my financial services days, “Past results are no guarantee of future performance.” But I have a good feeling about the year ahead!