Part 3: Where the Hell are you Going?

I don’t believe in resolutions.  But I do believe in goals.

Simple ones. Baby steps. The things you can do every day to innovate…to break bad habits…to become a better person and more successful business leader. In a few weeks, a new year will happen. Why should it be like this year? You can make it better. Don’t just let life happen to you. Make change.

Listening to people whine about all the stuff that they can’t do gets really boring. Don’t hang out with those people.

Of course, you’re going to screw up. I already addressed that here. Enough about your mistakes. Just don’t repeat them. And where is that first kiss passion? You’d better find it…life is short.

You could just spend the  365 days of the new year curled up in a fetal position under your desk. (If you have a standing desk, that could be particularly uncomfortable.) Or, you can propel yourself forward. Yeah…life is rough…work is hard. You can’t always get what you want. (Thanks Mick Jagger for that one.) But what CAN you do to get 2016 on track?

I don’t have the answer for you. Your goals are very personal and specific. But I will continue to use this space to offer up insights and tips to help your business (and your head) grow. In fact, I’ve resolved to use this blog next year to share more practical tips related to media, marketing, and business management — not just “soft stuff” about how we work and live. Can’t wait? Watch for our next post about how to make the final days of this year really count.

As you’re figuring out your baby steps, here are 7 predictions for 2016, so you know where the world may be going and how you can catch the waves of business:

1. What will happen in tech? (from the Harvard Business Review, so it must be right!)
2. Content marketing will still be hot! (That basically means businesses still need to come up with interesting things to say — that’s where people like me come in!)
3. Men will be monochrome and zippered. Is that something new?
4. People will be protesting. It’s about time!
5. 2016 will be a huge year for legal marijuana, the fastest-growing U.S. industry — with estimates of up to $35 billion in sales.
6. More women will hold board seats. Hey girls…let’s start moving!
7. Social media will finally grow up.  Guess my job is safe for at least another year.

Stay tuned for the final countdown of 2015. Twelve ways to end your year with an energy surge.

P.S. Why is the sailor in the photo smiling? He probably has a 2016 plan for success. (Maybe he even has a map, a fishing pole, or a smart phone with signal! Or some legal cannabis!)