7 ways to make 2008 great

I love it when we get to go into a new year. It seems to be a refreshing chance to redo all the stuff that we messed up on last year. While the consequences of yesteryear may or may not really go away, it’s important to see the opportunity we have in starting anew. Will this year be the one where you finally step out into freelancing full time? Will it be the one that has a dramatic impact on your finances or your social life? Here are eight tips to helping you make the year 2008 your best year yet.

Make resolutions you can stick with. There’s no harm in creating resolutions, but the fact remains that most of them don’t last past March. Why? Because they’re unrealistic. The best chance you’ve got in creating resolutions is keeping them S.M.A.R.T. (specific, manageable, attainable, realistic, timely)
Learn something new. This year, I’m beefing up my knowledge in e-commerce. Is there some kind of new code, marketing strategy or design tool that you could learn? Learning something new not only increases your skill set–allowing you to reach a larger audience–it also keeps your life interesting and prevents you from working on the same old stuff day after day.
Meet someone new everyday. I’m telling you, you don’t understand the potential of stepping outside your comfort zone to reach into someone else’s life. Who knows? Your next big client could be in front of you in the supermarket.
Become an expert in client relations. You probably know that it cost tons more to get a new client than to keep an existing one, so make every reasonable accommodation to keep your existing clients happy. Need some help? Here are 7 innovative ways to thank your client.
Evaluate yourself. Are you running every process, every job, every bit of documentation and discussion first class? Check and recheck. Humble yourself to submit to the criticism of your clients, peers and staff. Make sure your website, contracts, communication lines and resources are all in check. Execute with excellence.
Take plenty of time off, you slacker. You are not doing anyone any favors if you burn yourself out. Stick to your “office hours” religiously and I’d recommend keeping a Sabbath–that is, a day off a week–even if it isn’t Sunday. Do not DO NOT let your wife or kids hate your job because your busting at the seams with deadlines.
Get help. If you’re more of an introvert, it may be difficult for you step out and cry for help. But come on, folks–this is Web 2.0. There is so much help and resources out there, you have to take advantage. Join a club, a board, or just scour the galleries, if you have to. Find someone who does it better and become their pupil.

The original title of this post was “8 ways to make 2008 great” but I realized that once you get started down this road, it becomes more difficult every year. Besides, I don’t like just gushing information for no reason, and no one is trying to reinvent the wheel, here. Regardless, I believe that these tactics (a few of which I have to discipline myself to do this year) will greatly increase your successes this year. Happy New Year and here’s to a great one!