Continuous Improvement & Healthy Habits
By now, if I had to guess, most of your New Year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside. Don’t feel bad. A New York Times article stated that more than half of all resolutions fail. I’m guessing it’s higher than that given my own personal track record. It’s gotten so bad that in recent years I’ve stopped making New Year’s resolutions all together.
What’s the point of making a list of things to do for the New Year when you inevitably won’t achieve them? Well, this year I decided to get back into the resolution game. However, instead of making a long of list of things to work on, I wrote down one thing: form healthy habits.
As parking and mobility professionals, we all know a little something about habits and how hard they are to change. We are in the business of forming and changing habits for our customers:
“What do you mean I can’t park in ‘my’ parking space?”
“It’s always been a dollar an hour, who are you to change the rate?”
“Now I need a permit to park on my street? No thank you!”
We all have habits, and if habits are hard to change then it is even more important to form healthy habits. So, this year I’ve set out to form some healthy habits. What better way to achieve these goals than having the entire industry keep me honest? For me, it’s all about continuous improvement, how can I make myself a better spouse, parent, manager, professional, and community member. Here are the goals I have set for myself, and that I hope you will consider as well:
- Be Opportunistic. Do you take full advantage of the resources provided to you through work, IPMI, or in your personal life? Do you delete that email listing training opportunities or informational webinars without really considering the impact they can have on your life and career? Many opportunities are hiding in plain sight, and I intend to be intentional about pursuing them.
- Strengthen Relationships. Our industry is built on relationships. Are there relationships out there you want to take to the next level? Or re-establish all together? Of all the things the pandemic taught me, I learned to value the relationships I have and seek new ones to broaden my perspective and learn something new.
- Slow Down. When life gives you an opportunity to breathe, take it. We are conditioned to work non-stop and that’s been the mark of a successful career and life. When that meeting gets postponed, when school is cancelled, when plans change, I am going to try to take it as an opportunity to slow down and reflect.
Thanks in advance for keeping me honest for the rest of this year. I encourage you to check in with yourself and think about what your short and long-term goals are, and how you can utilize your resources to their fullest potential. And good luck forming those healthy habits!
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