First of all, Happy New Year! I am excited about 2016 for so many reasons! It's that time of year to make some New Year's Resolutions. Perhaps you've already made some! About half of the US populations makes them, and many of us break them after a month. In any case, I'm going to proclaim some event professional resolutions for myself in this post for 2016.
Stop Striving For Perfection
This one is a little counter-intuitive. Many event professionals strive to plan the "perfect event" or create the "perfect client experience." This can lead to a lot of stress! That is why this year I vow to enact my existing inner work ethic, but temper my own expectations about perfection as it relates to my events. I'm hoping that this can help me keep my focus on what's important. Which leads me to my next point.
Maintain Work-Life Balance
I specifically selected the work "maintain" for this resolution because I already believe that I do a fairly decent job of leaving my job stresses at my job. I also already don't answer emails at night and on the weekends if I can help it, but I still read them. (I really should turn off all email notifications on my phone when I'm away from work.) Still, I know that my home life is going to get a bit busier this spring when we welcome a second baby, so maintaining work-life balance will be key!
Expand my network
Networking has never been one of my favorite things to do, but I vow this year to work on expanding my network. I want to seek opportunities to meet new people and not be overwhelmed by massive networking events. I hope that these new connections will lead to positive working relationships that will benefit both my organization and myself.
Take A Class
I absolutely LOVE learning. I am hoping this year that I can take a class in something that can help me grow as a professional. Perhaps it will be something that can be both fun and useful to me in the future.
Obtain my CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) Certification
This resolution has been on my list for years. The only thing stopping me has been coming up with the money to do this. I want this to be the year that I add these initials to the end of my name! I think it is the next step for me professionally and would pair nicely with my existing CGMP (Certified Government Meeting Professional) Certification.
What are your New Year's Resolutions for your profession? I'd love to hear from you!! Leave a note in the comments!