What are your professional and personal New Year’s resolutions?

TLT Sounding Board January 2010

 

Much has changed in the world and the lubricants industry since TLT last asked this question in January 2007. Understandably, many more readers are concerned with job acquisition/security and corporate profitability. What hasn’t changed is our readers’ emphasis on education. Many said they wanted to finish an academic degree, take a seminar or increase their technical reading. Acquiring STLE’s CLS designation rated high on many 2010 to-do lists, as did attending the society’s annual meeting and expanding networking contacts. On the personal side, losing weight, exercising more and getting healthy were the top answers, just as they were three years ago. A close second was spending more time with the family.

PROFESSIONAL
Continue to learn more.

Make more sales calls and stay focused.

To gain one more step for a technical manager spot within the company. This is a five-year plan.

Make the perfect semisynthetic MWF. I am close.

Survive the downturn.

Improve my time management skills and attend STLE’s 2010 Annual Meeting & Exhibition.

Develop a larger network of STLE-member contacts.

Remain employed.

Structure my work environment to make it more enjoyable and less stressful. That includes turning down projects that are more trouble than they are worth!

Develop and close gaps in my skills and competencies that will benefit the business.

My professional resolution does not require waiting until New Year’s Eve. I stand by an old resolution that has stood the test of more than 10 years without question. That is to not depend on one day of the year to make changes in any aspect of life. I stand by the idea that if there is need or desire to make a change then now is the time to start. With change comes transformation, and it can start at anytime, anywhere. If you choose to put off necessary changes until this one day then you may miss the window of opportunity where that transformation can begin.

Complete expansion of laboratory equipment and capabilities.

Continue to work and develop hard tribological coatings for high-temperature applications.

Increase education in my field of work.

Learn more about the cleaning operations for metals.

Activate all contracts postponed in 2008-09.

To gain my CLS.

Education, education, education.

Achieve more speed at the current quality.

Work smarter.

Make a significant career move.

Be more organized.

Secure three new contracts. Employ and train five more field personnel. Increase ROI by 25%.

Travel less.

Do you think making New Year’s resolutions is a good practice?
Yes, they challenge us and help us grow, even when we fail to keep them. 80%
No, because most of the time you end up not keeping them, which is worse than not making them in the first place. 20%
Based on responses from 157 TLT readers.

To be more successful and improve margins.

Continue to provide my company with high-quality, industry-leading corporate level recommendations and program developments. Improve personal development through the involvement of industry association programs.

Retire in March 2010.

Be more attentive to the needs of my field engineers and salespeople.

Building a base of knowledge in my area of expertise and strengthening my network.

Get involved in STLE technical committees.

To excel in me.

Make my new company profitable.

Work smarter, work harder, work smarter.

Expand networks.

I would like to get a good grip on my total supplier/purchasing platform, as my parts and overall spending have increased dramatically this year.

Improve HSS VII knowledge for formulating in-gear oils.

I am retired. I plan to go to the annual meetings of STLE and the American Chemical Society to stay in touch.

Achieve world-best-in-class reliability of assets.

Complete work that was put on the back burner.

Attend STLE’s 2010 meeting in Las Vegas.

Become a better leader.

Develop greener products.

Review the scope of condition monitoring testing to achieve the most economic and rewarding programs for our specialized areas.

Have one patent filed.

I want to get more organized in all aspects of my job. I hope to start by finding out what the wood top of my desk looks like.

Keep up with project documentation.

To implement a new predictive strategy for my company.

To try and pass on the knowledge I have accumulated over the years.

To be the reference-point tribology consultant in my country (Nigeria).

I’m hoping that will graduate into a global relevance.

Develop and prosper.

Pass my exams. Be of utmost value to my company.

Market tribology as the major cost-saving area to industrial shareholders (not the engineers, the accountants).

Not fall behind in reports.

Attend international conferences. I also wish to see some of my research papers in reputable journals.

Refrain from working on weekends.

Start an oil-analysis program.

Ensure people are trained for the development and enhancement of themselves.

I will not procrastinate.

Concentrate on growing industrial sales with special attention on metalworking fluids.

Try to stay caught up at work and be proactive instead of reactive.

Bring in new business of $500,000.

Become more efficient on all projects.

Improve my time management and organization skills.

Develop better interviewing and hiring practices.

How many of your New Year’s resolutions would you say you keep?
All of them 11%
Most of them 30%
Some of them 45%
You’re kidding, right? 14%
Based on responses from 157 TLT readers.

PERSONAL
Follow a budget.

I would like to lose approximately 50 lbs. In 2010.

Lose 30 pounds for a cruise I’m taking in March.

Improve my physical health.

Spend more time with family.

Develop a closer relationship with my wife.

Enjoy life.

Quit smoking.

Get my 401(k) back to where it was in early 2008.

Take on woodworking as a hobby and stay fit by going to the gym more often.

Keep work and home life separate.

Spend more time at home.

Weld my new convertible chassis and get it painted.

Work fewer than 10 hours a day.

Take a four-week vacation. Win a local marathon race.

Continue monitoring and improving diet and exercise habits.

Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God (plagiarized from Bishop Rueben Job).

Get my Green Card.

Resolve to be happy every day.

Support my family.

Be happier! Improve relationships with family.

Execute retirement.

Complete my master’s thesis before June.

I would love to get back into a regular exercise routine and lose the 15-20 lbs. I put on since quitting tobacco—ironically to improve my health.

Keep up with my daily disciplines: prayer, bible reading and exercise.

Be a nicer person.

Reduce personal debt.

Read a few more books than I usually do.

Take a European tour with the family.

Do more fishing.

(1.) Turn a personal interest into a money-making venture and (2.) eat healthy.

Get more involved in day-to-day activities.

Do more walking for exercise.

Understand and assess the relevance of new technology and not just adopt the technology because it is available.

To love life and live it every day.

Continuing the doctoral program in machine design.

Go back to the gym.

To take care of my family and loved ones better.
Editor’s Note: Sounding Board is based on an e-mail survey of 13,000 TLT readers. Views expressed are those of the respondents and do not reflect the opinions of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. STLE does not vouch for the technical accuracy of opinions expressed in Sounding Board, nor does inclusion of a comment represent an endorsement of the technology by STLE.