What I Learned in 2008

I don't have to get into why 2008 was a tough year for almost everyone -- I'm personally tired of talking about 2008, and what 2009 may still have in-store for us. Unlike many of my counterparts, I still REALLY love what I do, and am still excited to wake-up every morning and work hard to get my share of the pie!

Rather than make New Year's Resolutions (which I'll inevitably break halfway through January), I've decided the best way to reach my goals in the 2009 is to define what I learned in 2008. Hopefully, you'll find some of these anecdotes useful!

1. Create my schedule around my family.

In 2008 I had time blocked out everyday for sales calls, social media, database marketing, etc. Although I intended my for my days to end at an appropriate time, time with my family inevitably was squeezed-out with the demands of work.

Therefore, this year I've blocked out "Family Time" and "Date Night" on my schedule, and arranged all other activities around them. Just as I wouldn't reschedule an important lunch appointment, I will now carefully guard time with my family. This mirrors the "pay yourself first" idea where you save before paying your bills -- it seems tough at first, but always works out in the end.

2. Make more friends.

One of the best ways to grow professionally and personally is to make friends. Expanding my personal network has not only grown my business, but I've met and learned from some really cool & interesting people. Not to mention, I've added value to their lives as well by connecting them with others who I know can serve their needs.

3. Social Media is a necessity.

No longer is Social Media an "innovative" way to market yourself, it is quickly becoming the norm. It'll become as necessary as a fax machine was in the 70's or 80's (or whenever it came out -- sorry I'm a "Millennial"). Clearly, I'm new to blogging (this being my first official blog post), but I still consider myself an "early adopter" as I've had a Facebook account since 2004. People ask why I'm such a proponent of SM, and it all comes back to #2 -- it helps you make more friends, faster.

4. Say "Thank You" more.

My husband taught me this one, and for all you A-type personalities like me, it is especially useful. I'm very results driven and a master of multi-tasking; therefore, my conversations with people tend to be very direct and to-the-point. I've learned that pausing to say "Thank You" before moving on to the next task, shows people (1) I am human and (2) appreciate their presence in my life.

There is countless more I've learned in 2008, but these are probably the most important (although I know I'll think of something else after clicking "post"). I'm new to the blogosphere, but I look forward to connecting and learning from more of you personally and professionally. Make it a great 2009!