Resolution 2009: Accomplish Goals, Get Things Done

The ball dropped as the clock struck midnight.

A new year has begun, and so it is time to look to the future and devise a New Year’s Resolution.

In past years, this decision has been difficult for me, but this year I know exactly what my resolution for 2009 is to simply go for it.

If there is something I want, I’m not going to stop until I get it.

Regardless of what it is that I want, I’m going to get it.

I’m going to set goals and achieve them. I’m going to accomplish everything I want to do in 2009.

The planning for this began in 2008, which was a year that I set myself up for success.

I graduated from Wichita State University with my bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in print journalism.

I was motivated and pushed the envelope during my last semester as the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper at WSU.

I secured a job as the editor of The Ledger as soon as I graduated, which is something that doesn’t always happen to a college graduate.

In that position, I’ve been honing my skills and learning new and exciting tools that will help me make 2009 an exciting adventure.

For the new year, I’m going to kick it up a notch and use all of 2008’s preparation and planning to tackle new ventures and make a bigger splash in community journalism.

Granted, many larger, daily newspapers are experiencing financial strains due to declining circulation numbers and classified advertising revenues attributed to the proliferation of online ventures, but that’s not the case for strong weekly newspapers practicing solid community journalism.

The current economic times are hitting everyone. That goes without saying, but news organizations that take care of their local communities are doing OK.

It is within the sphere of local, community journalism that I know I can make a difference and shake things up a bit by making a little noise and pushing the envelope as far and hard as I can.

I’ve got big ideas, and I’m going to get things done in 2009, no matter what.

Of course, another goal of mine, just like many Americans, is to lose a little weight and gain some muscle definition. I want to look hot.

Is that so wrong?

And of course, I’ll continue to write this column and regularly update my blog at www.voiceofthevogts.com.

To some, it may sound like I am going to be taking too much on and burning the candle at both ends; however, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I enjoy staying busy and have things to do. Besides, if I didn’t fill most of my free time with various types of chores that I love, I wouldn’t value free time with family and friends so much.

So do I have a plan? I think so.

I plan on doing things better and taking care of problems quicker. I want to stand up for the things worth fighting for and let the little things go without making a scene. I want to do better than I have in the past and achieve new milestones I never thought possible.

Why?

Because I think I can always do better and progress in my life.

Don’t get me wrong, though, 2008 was good. Nothing was so awful that it makes me want to rant and rave about it, but I think 2009 will be better.

It’s going to be the year of accomplishment instead of a year of preparation like 2008 was.

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About toddvogts 833 Articles
Todd R. Vogts, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of media at Sterling College in Kansas. Previously, he taught yearbook, newspaper, newsmagazine, and online journalism in various Kansas high schools, and he ran a weekly newspaper in rural Kansas. He continues to freelance as a professional journalist from time to time. Also, Vogts is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), the Journalism Education Association (JEA), and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), among others. He earned his Master Journalism Educator (MJE) certification from JEA in 2022. When he’s not teaching or writing, he runs his mobile disk jockey service and takes part in other entrepreneurial ventures. He can be reached at twitter.com/toddvogts or via his website at www.toddvogts.com.

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