It’s hard to believe that 2011 is already upon us.  Has it really been a year gone already? 

With the new year comes a time of reflection and change.   I’m not the kind of person that makes changes for changes’ sake but I firmly believe that taking the time to refresh and renew – to keep things from getting boring and to take advantage of latest trends and new information – is critical for long term success.  It’s a time to evaluate where you are and maybe try something new. 

Sometimes that means re-trying something that didn’t work in the past.  Things that didn’t work before might have failed simply because they were ahead of their time – everything else needed to catch up.  Maybe all the pieces are finally in place.  Certainly you don’t want to demonstrate what Benjamin Franklin warned us of: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”  But what seemed like a great idea that failed in the past might be worth another look.  Evaluate the roadblocks from the prior failure and you might find that they no longer exist.  Great ideas are great ideas!  They’re always worth a second chance.

Regardless of what path you take, take the time to develop some semblance of a strategic plan.  It doesn’t have to be overly complicated.   When time is your most precious commodity, you can’t afford it to be anything but simple.  Remember the old saying we (well, at least I) learned early on in school? “Stop, look and listen before you cross the street.”  Before you head out into the streets of 2011, stop and think about where you’ve been and where you want to go; look at the current market and economic trends and analyze how your business or organizational objectives can take advantage of present conditions; and finally listen to your customers and top advisors. They’ll help guide you to a very targeted and focused plan for the coming year.  Stop, look and listen. Come out ready to take on new challanges and opportunities.  Game on. 

Here’s to a prosperous and profitable new year.  Cheers!