Happy New Year!

I don't know about you, but I love the new year: That imaginary fresh slate, the new goals, the strategizing and planning, oh and Football! What's not to love?

Hopefully some of you who are reading this are setting specific goals around your networking efforts. You can and should do this, and if you're not sure how to go about it then you're definately going to want to check out the first NetworkInAustin.com monthly event on Monday, February 9th. There Thom Singer and I will present: Networking In The New Year - How to build your own 2009 networking strategy.

This post actually relates to all goals, not just your goals specific to networking. I saw something on the news the last couple of days where they were talking about how much failure there is in New Years Resolutions and goals. Just look around you. Your gym is probably packed, everyone is ordering salads at lunch all of a sudden and networking events will likely be busier than usual...

Then comes February, or maybe it's just January 10th. What happened? So many of those good intentions get washed away and everyone settles back into their old routines. I have a theory here. I think that these resolutions carry really high expectations: I'm going to go to the gym 4 times a week, or I'm going to give up all ice cream. Whatever it is the bar is set. Then they miss... Once. After that one miss it's all down hill and since we missed that once we may as well miss again and before we know it we're right back where we started.

I say, quit trying to be perfect! So you screwed up once. So what?! Keep moving forward. Heck, build a few screw ups into the plan. I'm going to give up Ice Cream, but I'll have one bowl Sunday night and if I really deserve it I might just have 2. 6 days on plan is a heck of a lot better than 0. Give yourself a break. Don't worry about being perfect and keep moving toward your goals.

To quote the title of a book who a good friend said was her favorite business book of 2008: Screw It, Let's Do It!

Happy Networking!

-Scott Ingram
NetworkInAustin.com