Here's to success in '05

Now's the time, isn't it?

A time when we all ponder wistfully on the events of the year past, and on our hopes for the one about to start. Call them resolutions, promises to yourself, veiled threats, whatever... making plans for personal improvement is part of the human condition. Resolutions are our way of saying that "there's still time to fix me" by doing more of X, and less of Y, and such, and reaping the benefits that will come from this new life plan.

Do they work? Experience suggests that the success rate is tied more to individual wiring than to the concept itself. Some of us can take bold steps, while others fall short of the mark we've set for ourselves before the college football bowl season concludes.

But a tried-and-true way to increase one's chances for success is to write down the plan. And that's logical, isn't it? After all, what successful business do you know that carries its business plan around in the CEO's head only? (Granted, it may eventually become a dusty document on a company shelf, but at least someone went through the mental gymnastics required to create the plan in the first place.)

With that in mind, here are a few suggestions for your professional "to do" list for 2005:

• Listen beyond the words. Your mother always told you "you have two ears and one mouth for a reason...to listen twice as much as you talk," but this suggestion goes deeper. Don't get so smart that you jump ahead in a conversation and draw conclusions too early. Let the words sink in, and search for the meaning beyond the obvious. Ask questions to see if you're right. You'll build a stronger personal brand, and produce better work if you do.

• Teach someone. Those for whom we produce work don't live in the world of marketing communications. They don't know instinctively why we do what we do. Find your spot, and tell them why - and how. You'll give them the tools they need to work with you more effectively.

• When your head says "we're not quite there yet," listen. The competition for the attention of your target audience is only going to get more intense. As such, settling for "pretty darn good" - in anything you produce - will only have you falling farther behind the pack. Push on until your idea, your story, your speech, whatever, has you doing your version of an end zone touchdown dance.

• Explore new worlds. Nothing helps clear your head like inserting completely new information in it. Buy a magazine you've never read before. Take a class on something that is completely "not you." Latch hook a rug. Whatever it is, find a way to get away from your norm and you'll be amazed at how you'll create a pathway for new ideas you can apply at work.

• Say thanks... all the time... even when you're not certain you mean it. You'll find people are more receptive to your ideas when you express gratitude for theirs, even when it's through a smile that's masking gritted teeth. You never know... the other person's supposedly lame idea may be right.

The message? Avoid comfort. Stay away from familiar patterns. And don't settle. You'll be surprised what you'll discover about your work, and yourself.