We hope , we dream, we learn

New Years is a time of reflection and perspective. We close out the old year. We wrap up the books and accounting of our wins and losses.  It's a time to put things behind us.  A time to start a fresh new year, a new set of books and a new score of wins and losses.  We have hopes of good fortune for profits, companionship and meaningful endeavors.  New Years is a time to dream of possibilities, to wonder what the new will bring.  It's that time when we reflect on what failed this year, or at least did not work out as well as planned.  For a brief moment after the clock strikes twelve, we are all virgins again.

The new year brings a time of resolution.  We promise to ourselves things that we cannot change and attempt to change them.  Resolutions only work when the motivation is there.  New Years does not always usher in a stunning lightening bolt of motivation. When I have made resolutions to change that have worked, it was at anytime of the year. New or not, but when I did make a resolution it was a new beginning.  Motivation is some deep inner self directed slave driver within us that makes us do things.  Some of the best motivations have not been financially motivations.  Intrinsic motivation is the desire to do something even if you were not being paid to do it.

We have hope that things will turn out better next year. Maybe after the great recession we hope only to not repeat another year like this one.  In the task of tallying the winners and losers, which we inevitably do, we wrap up the fortunes and misfortunes of the year and send them all away to our tax accountant.  If I were to really make an honest assessment I would say that character was a winner this year.  In the end, people can lose their business, lose property, lose wealth in a time like now.  But one thing is certain, the character, will and the intelligence that is the backbone of so many entrepreneurs in America is never lost.  Small business owners were smart people when they built their successful businesses and after these "Loss Years" , small business owners will still be smart capable people.  And it's not just business owners.  Knowledge is something you can sell over and over and over again and still have it to sell again.  The inventory never runs out.

So for that brief moment when we all have a virgin slate before us, think about what knowledge can be shared over and over and over again in the new year? What can I learn ...to add to my knowledge inventory this year?

May we all have a profitable new year and many more,
Terri Campbell