New Year's Resolutions

I've never been one for making a lot of resolutions on New Years. One view is that most of us don't keep them long enough to see any change and if you need to change something why wait until the start of a new year? The other side of the coin is that if you never decide to change something that is bothering you, you most likely will never change it.

Last year, I put in an article that it was important to set goals and one of mine was that I was going to paint a car. As the last day of the year is ticking down, I know that I was only able to make about a day and a half of progress on that project. This is one case of circumstances stopping that goal from being fully achieved. I will say that I am closer to finishing than when I set the goal.

If you're going to set forth some resolutions for yourself, ask yourself what do you want? What would be the desired result from a resolution?

I know that I want 2010 to end with a number of results. I want to spend quality time with my family during the year. It would be great to have a carshow ready classic car at the end of the year. I want to see our Grange team achieve great success this year. In looking forward, there are many things that can be placed on this list, but these three are the most important to me.

Family and the classic car thing are personal to me and in this post I'll talk about our Grange team achieving great success. Grange success is not just a personal issue, it is an issue for thousands of other Grange members.

In 2010 the National Grange team will continue to improve our communication with our members. We will offer new opportunities to learn how to be successful as well as continue our tried and true methods. We will add new people to our team at the National Grange level. Teamwork will be one of our major focuses this year.

I view success as new people becoming part of the Community Grange and getting involved. They will become new leaders within our organization and as they grow as leaders, they will bring new leadership to the Pomona and State level. Not only will new members join in, but our existing members will be experiencing new energy and excitement as Grange members.

We will build upon each success just as you build a stone wall, rock by rock from the bottom. The wonderful thing about great success, is that it isn't anything new in our Grange. We have had great successes, we still are achieving great things, and to expect tremendous things in the future is not that much of a reach.

Our challenge is to let existing members, who haven't had the opportunity to experience success, to feel the emotions that success brings. We also are going to share with new members what it feels like to achieve their goals though the Grange.

I hope each member will join me in setting a resolution for 2010 that their Grange will achieve success. It is when we work together as a team that we will achieve our goals!

May each member have a safe and happy New Year celebration and a prosperous 2010!