Every year, around this time, folks start crafting their predictions for the upcoming year. What will be the next Twitter, who will be the next Chris Brogan, what the killer apps will be and why, who’ll get bought, sold, whatever.
But if I’m honest, speculation isn’t useful to me unless it’s tied to something tangible. Something I can DO something about.
So, instead of my predictions for 2010, I’m mapping out my actions for 2010. Sure, some of them are based on goals or plans or presumptions I have for how my work and business will happen this year. But I’d much rather spend my efforts at the end of a year planning what I can and will do, instead of musing about what may happen (and that’s typically out of my control).
Here’s some of what I’ll be thinking about:
- What things I can stop doing that are wasting time and effort, both personally and professionally
- How I can better scale my level of touch throughout my networks
- Ways I can capture and share thoughts on some fundamental concepts that are driving me right now, and that I think are helpful to business. They include things like how social culture is shifting business culture, what community-driven businesses look like (culturally and operationally), and what we need to be teaching the next generation to help them integrate into businesses, armed with new ideas and tools.
- Who in my network I can help get to their next place, and how
- How to channel my tendency to be irrationally passionate into fuel for solid, useful work
- What it means to be an effective leader, and how that applies to the work I do for and with others
- How I can make a bigger impact on the non-work causes and issues I believe in
- How I can teach my daughter to be a strong, independent person
So, what kinds of actions are you laying out for yourself this year? Not just goals and wishes and hope-fors, but actions that get you there? How are you tapping your strength and working around your weaknesses this year, and what did you learn last year that will help?
I’ve scribbled a lot down over the last few days that are real, tangible things I can do. Big and small. So instead of wasting those precious brain cells of yours musing about airy predictions, how about channeling them into work that matters?
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Amber:
I was reading a post today about “10 big brands that will go out of business in 2010” and it left me with this disturbing feeling — given the pace of technological change are we relegated to simply predicting who dies next? Is Twitter just the 21st century Greek chorus?
So when you talked about mapping out your actions, it made me feel a little more optimistic. Can social media be a platform for scoping out what’s ARRIVING next and how we can positively influence businesses to make the right decisions?
Just a thought.
-J
Change is the only constant and all that jazz. Stuff will come, stuff will go. Adaptation is the skill I hope to have most.
I love the notion of social media helping carry the arrival of new things. It’s very much how I see it, because while the technologies themselves are new, the ideas are as old as the rock we stand on.
Amber:
I was reading a post today about “10 big brands that will go out of business in 2010” and it left me with this disturbing feeling — given the pace of technological change are we relegated to simply predicting who dies next? Is Twitter just the 21st century Greek chorus?
So when you talked about mapping out your actions, it made me feel a little more optimistic. Can social media be a platform for scoping out what’s ARRIVING next and how we can positively influence businesses to make the right decisions?
Just a thought.
-J
Change is the only constant and all that jazz. Stuff will come, stuff will go. Adaptation is the skill I hope to have most.
I love the notion of social media helping carry the arrival of new things. It’s very much how I see it, because while the technologies themselves are new, the ideas are as old as the rock we stand on.
Amber, What If you had to pick the top 3 from your list which would they be?
And if you could describe your next year in 3 words what would they be? Mine is “Make Things Happen”, one of my CEOs is “Visit More Places” and some one else came up with “Go Dancing More”
Yours
Richard
Why do I need to pick three? 🙂 I have more capacity than that. But I suppose I’d pick focus on my daughter, helping others more, and framing out tangible work. Those are the things that I think move stuff forward most.
My end-of-year three words are rarely a sentence. They’re three concepts, really. My friend Jon Swanson is wonderful at these. I haven’t really picked mine yet.
Amber, What If you had to pick the top 3 from your list which would they be?
And if you could describe your next year in 3 words what would they be? Mine is “Make Things Happen”, one of my CEOs is “Visit More Places” and some one else came up with “Go Dancing More”
Yours
Richard
Why do I need to pick three? 🙂 I have more capacity than that. But I suppose I’d pick focus on my daughter, helping others more, and framing out tangible work. Those are the things that I think move stuff forward most.
My end-of-year three words are rarely a sentence. They’re three concepts, really. My friend Jon Swanson is wonderful at these. I haven’t really picked mine yet.
Amber,
First of all great to finally meet you at the #MegaTweetUp I appreciate you coming down and participating!
Secondly, I love the action you took to create this post! The first item is a challenge, finding that 20 in the 80/20 rule can seem like an constantly moving target.
I also love the fact that you recognize your weaknesses in bullet 5 and have set out to focus energy.
Have you heard of Kolbe (A index in particular) http://www.kolbe.com/ It has REALLY helped me with challenging my energies.
One weakness that I struggle with is scaling my contribution. How can I best help the most people by leveraging my natural strengths?
Planning a day ahead and setting weekly S.M.A.R.T. goals are two tactics that I have been working at making a habit in my life.
Thank you for the reminding me of the really important.
Joselin, great to meet you too! I feel like it’s been ages and I’m glad we finally got to say hello in person.
Weaknesses are human, and I’m very much in touch with many of mine (though not all I’m sure). Sometimes, to a fault. But a few get in the way of my business and relationships more than others, so that one in particular I need to work on. Thanks for the Kolbe referral; hadn’t heard of it and will check it out!
Amber,
First of all great to finally meet you at the #MegaTweetUp I appreciate you coming down and participating!
Secondly, I love the action you took to create this post! The first item is a challenge, finding that 20 in the 80/20 rule can seem like an constantly moving target.
I also love the fact that you recognize your weaknesses in bullet 5 and have set out to focus energy.
Have you heard of Kolbe (A index in particular) http://www.kolbe.com/ It has REALLY helped me with challenging my energies.
One weakness that I struggle with is scaling my contribution. How can I best help the most people by leveraging my natural strengths?
Planning a day ahead and setting weekly S.M.A.R.T. goals are two tactics that I have been working at making a habit in my life.
Thank you for the reminding me of the really important.
Joselin, great to meet you too! I feel like it’s been ages and I’m glad we finally got to say hello in person.
Weaknesses are human, and I’m very much in touch with many of mine (though not all I’m sure). Sometimes, to a fault. But a few get in the way of my business and relationships more than others, so that one in particular I need to work on. Thanks for the Kolbe referral; hadn’t heard of it and will check it out!
Amber, this is really useful. If I see another ‘predictions’ list I may go insane.
I have a big one to focus on first. Spend time developing the 1/3/5 year plan for my business and make sure every action I take next year fits with that plan and, if not, ignore it. I think that might be called practicing what I preach 🙂
Amber, this is really useful. If I see another ‘predictions’ list I may go insane.
I have a big one to focus on first. Spend time developing the 1/3/5 year plan for my business and make sure every action I take next year fits with that plan and, if not, ignore it. I think that might be called practicing what I preach 🙂
Amber, I love your focus on what you can do next year, as opposed to trying to pontificate on industry trends. Your personal goals are easier to take seriously and inspiring to others who find themselves in a similar “boat”. No one can argue that you’re the #1 expert on you, and we should all pay more attention to that and less on trying to be the expert on something else.
Amber, I love your focus on what you can do next year, as opposed to trying to pontificate on industry trends. Your personal goals are easier to take seriously and inspiring to others who find themselves in a similar “boat”. No one can argue that you’re the #1 expert on you, and we should all pay more attention to that and less on trying to be the expert on something else.
I love ‘level of touch’ as a metric: how to measure?
I love ‘level of touch’ as a metric: how to measure?
Love this post! I agree with John McTigue–I love this approach vs. pontificating on industry trends. Thanks for inspiring me to think of my own things I plan to do in 2010 post.
If a lion know how to tweet we wouldn’t understand her. This year I will live among lions and learn their language.
.-= WeirdGuyInMask´s last blog ..Corporate Friendterprise =-.
If a lion know how to tweet we wouldn’t understand her. This year I will live among lions and learn their language.
.-= WeirdGuyInMask´s last blog ..Corporate Friendterprise =-.
Amber,
What a great reminder to focus on what is truly important. If we are not turning our words and visions into actions, we are just drifting.
.-= Gloria Bell ´s last blog ..So who is your voice? =-.
Amber,
What a great reminder to focus on what is truly important. If we are not turning our words and visions into actions, we are just drifting.
.-= Gloria Bell ´s last blog ..So who is your voice? =-.
Amber,
As usual, you’ve got a great post. Setting goals is important and taking actions on them arguably even more so. While predictions can be fun, they can also be a bit of an addictive time-suck, if we’re being completely honest.
Your ideas here suggest that a good bit of meditation and a sprinkling of determination can make those predictions take a backseat to action and that is a beautiful, beautiful thing. After all, if we keep saying something is going to happen and we never do anything about it, it never happens. Words are only as powerful as the action which backs them up.
I look forward to reading more from you in the New Year, as well as really taking action myself.
Sara
.-= SaraKate´s last blog ..045. Simple Image: Optical Illusion =-.
Amber,
As usual, you’ve got a great post. Setting goals is important and taking actions on them arguably even more so. While predictions can be fun, they can also be a bit of an addictive time-suck, if we’re being completely honest.
Your ideas here suggest that a good bit of meditation and a sprinkling of determination can make those predictions take a backseat to action and that is a beautiful, beautiful thing. After all, if we keep saying something is going to happen and we never do anything about it, it never happens. Words are only as powerful as the action which backs them up.
I look forward to reading more from you in the New Year, as well as really taking action myself.
Sara
.-= SaraKate´s last blog ..045. Simple Image: Optical Illusion =-.
Good idea Amber, sadly I have already wasted a few brain cells writing a post on 2010 predications. But now I’m starting to focus on what I need to work on in 2010 to become better person and achieve my professional and personal goals.
To answer one of your questions “So, what kinds of actions are you laying out for yourself this year? ”
Some of my actions align with yours such as managing my time online and another one for me is to make an effort to comment more on blogs in 2010. I know it sounds like a small thing but it’s something that is valuable and I admit that I need to do more of.
Thanks for the inspiration and I’ll see you at Social Fresh in 2010.
.-= Wayne Sutton´s last blog ..What I’m sharing on Google Reader for December 11th =-.
Good idea Amber, sadly I have already wasted a few brain cells writing a post on 2010 predications. But now I’m starting to focus on what I need to work on in 2010 to become better person and achieve my professional and personal goals.
To answer one of your questions “So, what kinds of actions are you laying out for yourself this year? ”
Some of my actions align with yours such as managing my time online and another one for me is to make an effort to comment more on blogs in 2010. I know it sounds like a small thing but it’s something that is valuable and I admit that I need to do more of.
Thanks for the inspiration and I’ll see you at Social Fresh in 2010.
.-= Wayne Sutton´s last blog ..What I’m sharing on Google Reader for December 11th =-.
What’s up to all, how is the whole thing, I think every one
is getting more from this site, and your views are nice for new viewers.