It is once again that time of year. The time to tell ourselves we are going to do something, or make something happen, that has very little chance of actually happening.

Sales of Slim Fast, running shoes, gym memberships and Nutri-System are sure to spike in the coming days. It’s what we do….what we have been told you are suppose to do; Make a New Year’s Resolution. A New Year, a clean slate….a promise to ourselves that is rarely kept.

Why do so many resolutions fail? Lack of accountability? Unattainable goals? Who knows for sure, but I love the concept of resolving oneself to change.

I would like to share my “big” resolution for the New Year, and then challenge you. The goal I have set for myself is lofty, a bit crazy and opens the door for failure. However, I am sharing it with the world (er….all 1 of my blog readers) as a way of creating accountability. Yes, I could fail (very easily!) however, fear of failure is the bane of many an existence, the culprit of apathy and instigator of do-lessness.

I could easily fail, but I’m going to give it hell….and let the chips fall where they may. Also, if I am going to challenge you to make a shift in the way you think, I needed to make as significant change myself.

Without further adieu, my resolution:

I am a bit of a workaholic, and my work is so called “knowledge work” (despite often being called ‘Dumbass!”) and involves many long hours at a desk behind a computer monitor. Coupled with my love of all things bad for me (beer, chocolate, chocolate beer, pizza, cheese….) has added a few pounds to the frame. Ok, maybe a bit more than a few.

Am I ready to be extracted from my home via chainsaw and jaws of life? No. I am still somewhat active, and can still see my feet when I look down, however I want to get back in shape. It’s time.

Today, I will be registering for the Captain Thurmond’s Challenge, in 8 months, I might regret it. Hell, tomorrow I might regret it, but there it is…a goal, with a great deal of hard work ahead. What is the Challenge?

Captain Thurmond’s Challenge Triathlon is 30 miles of the most extreme whitewater, mountain biking and running in the state and the East Coast. Set in the spectacular New River Gorge, the triathlon includes an 11 mile bike leg that begins with a Lemans start from the historic Downtown Fayetteville and runs to Cunard along the ridge lines of the New River George. The 8 mile watercraft leg proceeds from Cunard to Fayette Station through Class III and IV rapids. The 8 mile run at the end tests the athletes endurance going up and out of the gorge finishing back at the Fayette County Courthouse. The triathlon can be done either by a team or solo by one individual

I figure what the hell….going solo.

So it begins….the change, the hard work with a goal in mind, and the thoughts of the residual benefits of reaching (or trying to reach) the goal. Lisa bought me a new pair of trail runners for Christmas, as I had worn my last pair out with trips to the refrigerator…and Adam over at Marathon Bicycle Company has performed a minor miracle in bringing my mountain bike back to life. I’m going to pick it up today. Ready or not…

My challenge to you, is to change the way in which you approach your marketing efforts. Put the bullhorn down, quit yelling at your customers and quit trying to find needles in haystacks. Listen for a change. Study for a change. Marketing has evolved, have you?

If not, make a resolution to evolve and join me in making fundamental changes and losing the fear of failure.

So if you see me on the trail (or more likely on the ground gasping for air), say “Hi” and tell me about your resolution!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 at 4:44 pm and is filed under Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.