The Venture Edge

 I’m not a big believer in New Year’s Resolutions—probably because they tend to survive about two weeks after they’re made, if that. That’s not to say that the fundamental idea of promising yourself to do better in some aspect of your life is not a good thing—it is—but rather than set yourself up for failure, maybe New Year’s Eve is a good time to reflect on 2010, but, more importantly, to visualize 2011. Let me explain.

Those of us involved in starting and running businesses (and that's millions of us) could describe the first decade of the New Millennium as a wild ride to say the least.  I won't reiterate here all the events we know so well that affected businesses large and small (every journalist and blogger will be doing that over the next couple days).  What I will say is that if the first decade is any indicator of what life will be like going forward, everyone should consider putting on their entrepreneur hats and tying them tight because it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Yesterday my blog-mate Kathy Allen and I were chatting about the current state of the economy, and what we would do about it if we were in charge. While being in charge of cleaning up this economic mess is about the last job I would personally aspire to at the moment, that didn't stop us from coming up with some interesting ideas. This then is the first plank in the Allen-Economy Economic Stimulus Plan of 2009.

I agree with Peter that everyone seems to be making New Year's resolutions--all with great intentions that they will be accomplished.  But, really, how many of you have actually achieved those goals?  I want to suggest a contrarian point of view, which will be strange coming from me, since I have spent my life setting goals and achieving them.  But give me a chance to explain.