As 2025 Comes To An End

2026 will soon be upon us. For many, a new year offers positivity and hopes of prosperity.

It also gives us a chance to focus on making changes to our personal and professional lives. But why would we wait until the new year to make changes? Here are a few tips we can use to make the most of our opportunities starting now.

First of all, we should take advantage of every learning opportunity we can. The day we think we know it all is the day we should consider quitting or retiring. All of us should strive for continuous learning — from the new A&P right out of school to seasoned mechanics and maintenance managers. We can also take advantage of non-work-related learning opportunities. REI offers classes on a regular basis — and many of them are free! This allows attendees to expand their knowledge of outdoor activities to make their recreational free time more enjoyable. Home Depot offers regular classes for those wanting to learn more about home repair and renovation. Heck, we may even decide to take lessons to play guitar, piano or another instrument. There's something rewarding in learning to play an instrument. Whatever our desire, it can be gratifying to expand our knowledge at work and in our personal lives!

Second, set goals! We don't want to make the mistake of making a typical New Years Resolution like "I want to get promoted and earn more money," or, "I want to lose weight." Instead, we must set SMART goals. 

According to mindtools.com, SMART is an acronym that we can use to guide our goal setting. To make sure our goals are clear and reachable, each one should be:

• Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
• Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
• Achievable (agreed, attainable).
• Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
• Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).

Here's wishing everyone a happy holiday season and a safe and prosperous 2026!

Thanks for reading, 

Joe