Things You Can Do To Make 2012 Great

Dan Stamp, the Chairman of Priority Management Systems, recently discussed some different things to make life at work and at home better and more enjoyable. Here are some of his do's and don'ts:

Recognize that "passion", "work / life balance", and "purpose" are just words. In reality they are not products, but rather by-products of planning your work life to support what you really want. You will only find these qualities by looking within yourself first and identifying what you want out of life.

Remember that you are not in prison. You can make choices about how you live your life and no one else can live it for you.

Develop your own personal compass. Don't evaluate yourself or your family against what others might have achieved. Do you feel good about yourself and, if not, what do you need to change?

Don't flatter yourself about how important and successful you are because you are so very busy. How much of your busy-ness is self-imposed? Are you using it to escape from something more important?

Listen to what people around you are saying - what they really want to communicate - and absorb the whole message before you start to respond. Remember that you will never have good relationships at work or at home if you are a "speed listener", reducing every message to a sound bite.

Commitments say a lot about your character. Don't make commitments (meeting, lunch, piece of work) and then not follow through or cancel at the last minute. You may feel busy, but so is everyone else! When you fail to honor your commitments, you are saying two things to the person who is relying on you: "My time is more important than yours." and "You are not important to me."

Finally, make 2012 special for you, your colleagues at work, and your important loved ones. Design a work / life worthy of your values, goals, and aspirations.