Setting Goals, and an Elementary School Incident

Posted by John Lockwood on June 24th, 2007

When I was in elementary school, there was this kid, Bob Pouliot, who as it happens is now music director and conductor for the City of Fairfax Band.  I knew if I Googled him he’d be in charge of some orchestra somewhere or otherwise pretty famous, since he probably had more musical talent than any other kid I knew.

So anyway, Bob Pouliot was quite a fan of Peanuts comics, and taught us all how to draw Snoopy, which was pretty slick.  He also got me reading Peanut comics collections.  I remember this one comic that had a concept in it that I didn’t understand as a kid, and that ruined the joke, but at least I got to learn the concept from my mother.

So two peanuts characters are talking (I forget which ones):

“I’ve made my New Year’s Resolutions.”

“Are you kidding?  New Year’s Resolutions?   It’s April !”

“I have my own fiscal year.”

So that’s how I learned what a fiscal year was.

My New Year’s Resolutions

So here I am, at the end of June, having just turned the death defying age of forty-eight, on the verge of perhaps spitting out a new years resolution or two.

Resolved:

  • I’m going to lose weight.  That’s pretty vague, isn’t it?  But I really should, and let’s face it, that one is the classic, the gold standard, the cadillac of resolutions.  If new years resolutions were a president, that one would be Baberaham Lincoln.
  • I’m going to work on a more comprehensive business strategy than I have now, which goes outside my comfort zone significantly in the following areas:
  • Listing presentation.
  • Client follow-up.
  • I’d like one of the elements of the client follow-up part to be more effectively conveying my gratitude to our clients for choosing us.  I’m thinking Thursday lunches would be great.  Either that, or a client appreciation party.  Or both of those.
  • I’m going to tell the people doing a good job for me what a great job they’re doing.  I’ll start with Purva, since she might actually be reading this and her blog posts are absolutely outstanding.  I’ll get Purva again and everyone else in email.  Purva gets double-dipping on the props, a reader benefit.  I’m thinking we need pizza. 
  • I’m going to see if I can reconcile the goals of losing weight and thinking of meals that go with all my other resolutions.  (Done!)
  • I’m going to print this list.  I’m going to call it “The List“.  (Scroll down to the skit about Grayson Moorhead Securities — it’s worth the read).