FDLIC Corporate Officers blog about current issues in the preneed industry and in funeral service, providing insight, commentary, and news updates.
A Time for Renovation
Monday, January 4, 2010
For most of us, the start of a new year is an exciting time. It's a time to make a fresh start and to reassess some of our goals for the coming year. But how can we really be confident that the changes we want to make in our lives will actually stick this year?
Research shows that the percentage of success for those who even make New Year's resolutions drops significantly as the months go by. After 6 months, only 46 percent of those people still maintain their resolutions. What can we do to improve those odds?
In 2008 and 2009, our company took on some major renovation projects in our home office. As I oversaw each phase of the project, I noticed a correlation between our home office renovation and the life renovation some of us try undergo at the beginning of a new year. Here are some of my observations:
Have a Plan to Succeed
There is a difference between a resolution and wishful thinking. When we studied the areas we wanted to renovate, it was not good enough to target problem areas and simply hope that organization would take place, or that the office space would somehow be used more productively on its own. We had to outline specific changes and set goals to accomplish those changes. We had to become proactive, which meant using our power to control those things we could control. Then, we had to seriously commit to what we had planned. Detailed drawings were made and we went to work.
When considering making your New Year's resolutions, set goals and be specific about how you plan to accomplish those goals. Once you have a plan, take action!
Keep Your Eye on the Prize
Most of us start out strong, see improvements, but then stop paying attention to the things that made us successful in the first place. We lose sight of the final prize and begin to think that it is just too hard to make it to the end. When our construction project actually started, it was exciting. But then it became tiring and tedious and difficult. The employees were all crammed into our lunchroom with everyone's office stations set up on card tables. More than one person, I am sure, was wondering if the inconvenience would be worth the final results. At that point, it was vital that we pay close attention to everything that happened each day and that we become even more vigilant than we had been before. We stayed focused on the final goal and made sure that we kept doing the things that had brought us success at the beginning.
Keep track of your progress as you work toward the goals you set as your New Year's resolutions. Things may get worse before they get better, but remember that if you stay focused on the reason you started in the first place, you will make it through those challenging times.
Make Room for Change
There will be blocks in the road
those unexpected things that cause us to alter our plans and maybe take a detour on the scenic route. During the renovation project, there were times when beams would appear out of nowhere and poles would somehow relocate themselves to the middle of the room. Everything didn't always go according to plan, and we had to find ways to get around those problems that hadn't been there a moment before. Rather than throwing our hands in the air and scrapping the entire project, we altered the plan, continued to do what worked, and pressed on.
Give yourself room for flexibility. As things come up during the year that cause you to question your resolution, make the changes you need to make and continue to do the things that have brought you success. Remember, change is a process, and it will be worth all of your effort in the end.