At the beginning of each year, I try to get away and plan for the coming year. This year I had the luxury to accomplish that personally and professional. I’ll write about the experience over the next few days. I started the process by closing my eyes, humming Kumba Ya, and “centering”. Okay, actually I just stood in front of a sliding glass window looking out at the Atlantic Ocean. I took three post it notes and wrote STOP, START, and CONTINUE . Then I asked my self the following questions:

- What do I need to STOP doing that has impeded my past success and accomplishments?

- What do I need to START doing that I am NOT doing that might help contribute to accomplishing my 2008 plan?

- What do I need to CONTINUE doing that worked in the last few years?

Then I just let the ideas flow writing one per Post-It until I could barely see out the window. Along the way, I pondered past years and themes “Back to the Basics, Do Less Better, and Eat Mor’ Chicken (just kidding about Do Less Better). Then I started thinking what does 2008 rhyme with - late, mate, date, bait, separate…nothing there. Then fate, gate, hate….Finally it came, GREAT. My theme is GREAT in 08. Here’s the acronym:

G - Getting Ready

R - Referrals

E - Excellence

A - Attitude

T - Talent management

Mor’ Chicken later…