…if in fact you make these Resolutions! New Year! New Start! New Hope! A friend on Facebook said it best – ‘so far 2017 feels just like 2016.’ That is unless we do something about it right!?

Sure resolutions are cliche but from time to time it’s nice to reflect and start a new. Here’s the resolutions I hope you join me in making this year:

1. Take Care of Myself. Exercise more. Just walk to lunch once a week! Eat better. Drop the roll and grab some fruit. Get that massage you’ve always wanted. Heck, schedule the visit to the dentist you’re too busy for. Someone has to take care of you – might as well be you!

2. Take Some Time Off. Always amazed when we get together and start sharing how long it’s been since we took a vacation. The mental break is a necessity. The office will survive without you for a couple of days. You can’t take the vacation days to heaven. Use them! If you have young ones like me, they’ll love you for it!

3. Read More. I heard once at a conference that if one reads 30 minutes or so a week, in a year-and-a-half, they’d be an expert in their field! Besides, we might find an idea to steal. You don’t have to read all the “Good to Greats” of the world. There’s some insightful blogs out there. Email and I’ll send you my five favorite blogs to check.

4. Connect More. And I mean by phone. I’m resolving to call one person a week to reconnect. (Please don’t screen my call with your caller ID.) When is the last time you simply called someone just to say ‘hi’, ‘how are you?’, ‘don’t need anything, just wanted to touch base.’?

5. Go to Him More. A past devotion compared a bird trapped in a garage to us trapped in our busy lives. The bird wouldn’t stop so they could be rescued. We need stop and go to Him so He can assist us in the planning and organizing of our day. He knows what you will be facing and longs to prevent you from ‘banging’ your head against the wall. Won’t you fall into the open arms of your Father and allow him to rescue you? He is waiting.

These probably aren’t going to help your bottom line, or attract a visitor to your community or attraction, but then again, if the DMO, attraction or business shuts down ’cause staff has ‘lost it’, you’re not going to attract visitors or customers then either. Sometimes it’s taking care of ourselves and re-energizing us that help us get back to the task at hand!

Happy New Year and Best Wishes!