Last Updated on May 22, 2023
A New Decade, and some New Resolutions
Yet another decade and another chance to do everything right! I hope you did well on achieving that goal in 2019. Chances are we will stick to our new years resolutions as long as the bubbles last in the bottle of champagne we opened on New Year’s Day. We shouldn’t let that get us down. Certainly looking back over the year I can pat myself on the back for a few small steps forward.
I am still going to the gym, eating less meat, I am teaching most of the time now which is something I always wanted to do, and have acquired only a very tiny amount of credit card debt. However yet another year has passed and I never did learn mysql properly, or get to Paris, and I am still on facebook – even if just to rant.
It’s important to consider not only personal resolutions, but also those for the workplace. We spend most of our day working, so I have not neglected resolutions for the Office. For 2020 then I will try to stay real, and build on my successes. As they say – don’t think about what you have done, think about what you will do!
80% of resolutions normally fail by the second week of February, so the odds are against us. How did I do with my resolutions from last year, and do I have any new resolutions? See for yourself below. How did YOU do? :o)
Resolution #1 Go to Paris (*went to Prague instead, sadly not to Paris)
I think most resolutions fail because they are too far out of reach. Bench press 300, marry the Head of Client Services, buy a Ferrari. I mean, it’s important to challenge yourself – no pain no gain – but a few low hanging fruit are important to start with for sake of motivation. I haven’t been to Paris for more than 10 years. As I didn’t even make it for a project meeting in 2019, I don’t see myself getting there in 2020. HOWEVER I will keep it on the list.
Resolution #2 REALLY Master Google Ads (*not yet but really on it!)
Starting to need a step ladder for this one. While I have used Google Ads for many years, and am certified, I really want to make this tool work for me rather than the other way round. I will block specific time each day to get as comfortable with Google Ads as I am with the cappuccino machine. This is what I said a year ago, and while I DO feel more confident, I am still not where I want to be.
Resolution #3 Get Back Together with Drupal (*slowly, but no, this never happened. I am still teaching and working in WordPress.)
I’ve worked with Drupal since 2011, but then a little less each year. In 2018 there was only one site in my stable of clients still in Drupal. Most sites I manage are now in WordPress. Drupal is going to move into version 9 in 2020 as well, so, I will be turning my radar towards Drupal but it appears I am a WordPress guy.
Resolution #4 Get Less Social (*big fail – really big fail!)
I know we all think the world revolves around us, and our followers can’t wait to find out what we ate for dinner, or the great sweater we bought, but it really isn’t true. I’m going to see if I can spend less time talking to myself via social media and more time on learning another language, or memorising the names of my friend’s children. Alas this 2019 resolution will probably hold for 2020. I DO feel less inspired by instagram than I did a year ago so I believe there IS hope.
Resolution #5 Understand the Entire Customer Journey (*this was a trick resolution in the event anyone believes that possible, BUT as I am teaching Online Marketing now I am much more in tune than I was a year ago.)
Oh this is a funny one. What IS the Customer Journey anyway? If you are like me this buzzword peeps up in every meeting and project plan. However it isn’t like Understanding Sugar, or Understanding Quantum Physics. It isn’t static. It’s something unique for every product, every medium, every day of the week. It will be very important to marry this resolution with #6. I think this is a keeper :o)
“I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me.” Anais Nin
Resolution #6 Create More Data Driven Content (*trying, but a vertical.)
Oh yes. Creating effective, relevant, and useful content that answers the needs of the users. This obvious need is not always self-evident, and I will be trying to combine adwords, analytics, and sales results with market trends on a week for week basis. People only read a few words of the content we produce, and they want it in CONTEXT. So these words should be clickable for anyone in my business. To be honest I am very much a hands on gut – driven person.
Resolution #7 Learn to Love Gutenberg … (*mostly failed in 2019, but much less angry going forward)
If you are like me, WordPress 5 really had me over a barrel – even though I tried out Gutenberg for many months prior to the finaly release, and have been into WordPress for the last decade. All I can say is – was this REALLY necessary? I am clicking more, scrolling more … spending more time interacting with the tool than I am with the content. That can’t be good. Now I am teaching almost fulltime, I find Gutenberg is much easier for my students to grasp. Basic HTML just does NOT seem to be most people’s liebling. So, I will call this resolution a success!
Resolution #8 Collaborate and Coordinate with Sales (*was pretty good)
Another obvious one you might think, but you might also know from experience that these two departments are very siloed. Much like service and kitchen staff never see the same restaurant they are working in, Sales and Marketing often see things from different perspectives. Time to understand what the other hand is doing! I would also call this a pass – especially in my teaching, understanding and working over silos is really necessary.
Resolution #9 Make More Time for Self-Improvement (*big success!)
Indeed. As often as we say we will take time out for ourselves, it never seems to happen. Every time we say we will learn French, or go to the gym, or learn Python – it just seems to get lost in the shuffle of the day. Each day I commute two hours – and on the weekends 12. There should be enough time for improvement each and every week. I will never become a better person, but I reeeeally would like to learn something new. In 2019 I aced this! I spent thousands on courses and trainings, I know so much more than I did a year ago, and am working in areas I had not even thought about a year ago. Life is short – do learn something new!
Resolution #10 Buy an Entire Outfit (*not even tried yet)
I think, if we start with a low hanging fruit, we should end with one. This might seem like an odd resolution, but I have a history of buying shirts and pants and shoes and sweaters, and even sports coats INDIVIDUALLY. Then I get home and realise that I have nothing to go with the item I purchased. This seems to work well for movie stars – a mix matched bag of thrift shop throw togethers – but they never seem to come together for me. In 2019 this STILL never happened. I am not a entire outfit kind of person :o)
NEW Resolution #11 Learn Better German (*odd one so bear with me)
This is probably my biggest fail. I have lived in Germany since 1992, but my German is at a very basic level. Mostly this is because all my employers speak English, and German is something I only really needed in a shop or cafe – where the staff are only too eager to practice their own English! This year I am teaching almost full-time, so I do wish my German was at a higher level. I think if I keep that up, and continue writing German lesson plans et al. I might get to where I want to be. :o) In fact, there is no time like the present to begin living my resolution!
Warum ist digitale Kompetenz so wichtig? Das Internet und die digitalen Technologien durchdringen immer mehr Bereiche des täglichen Lebens. Eine besondere Herausforderung ist die Beteiligung älterer Mitglieder der Gesellschaft an der laufenden digitalen Transformation.
Damit sie von diesen Technologien profitieren können, braucht es mehr als die Fähigkeit, Apps auf Smartphones herunterzuladen oder Geld per Online-Banking zu überweisen.
Kommen Sie im Frühjahr 2019 zu unseren Kursen “Smarte Senioren” in Bremen und in Oldenburg!
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I will let you know at the end of the year how I did with everything. ;o) Have a simply great year!