Rink

very year millions of Americans make New Year's resolutions. Full of hope and conviction, we dedi- cate ourselves to improve areas of our lives we wish to change. Year after year, Americans top resolutions are to quit smoking, get out of debt, drink less alcohol, spend more time with family, lose weight and exercise more. The list is shocking! Even less shocking is the fact that only 12% of Americans actually follow through with their resolutions to a successful end. The New Year's resolution has become an annual exercise in futil- ity that seems destined to die a slow death. Yet with the odds stacked against us, many continue to step up to the plate year after year and boldly proclaim things we are going to fix, change and re-commit ourselves to in the new year. Here at STAR, we wanted to know what resolutions our members in the Rink industry were making as we approached the beginning of 2009; so we asked them to share what's on their minds and have included a sampling of those responses in our feature article, "A Season Renews" on page 24. But why make such a big deal about New Year's resolutions? The simple answer is because they usually represent major issues or areas of our lives or business that really needed to be attended to and fixed or improved. So whether it's an IR that needs an overhaul, a part-time staff that needs better training or finally getting around to earning your CIT, the good news story is that there are some specific steps you can take to increase the likelihood of success. Here are just a few: ★ Create a plan for your resolution so that you have clear steps that can trans- late into action and show a "road-map" for completion. ★ Set your plan now! The further away from Jan 1 you get, the less likely you will follow through. Resolutions are forgotten altogether if not quickly acted upon. ★ Set high but attainable goals. Unattainable goals waste time, resources and can be very discouraging even causing unintended negative consequences. ★ Don't keep your resolution a secret. Put it in writing and make your plans public knowledge. You may need help from those around you (co-workers, employees, etc.) and you will have an increased sense of obligation to follow through. ★ Plan for the long-haul...most resolutions can be set in a day, however require hundreds of steps that may be carried out over the course of the year. Relish the small victories and don't lose sight of the big prize at the end. ★ Remain flexible. The Marine Corps motto says it best; "Improvise, Overcome, Adapt." Things will change, obstacles will present themselves, priori- ties will need to be adjusted and plans will need to be altered. In the end, it's not whether you failed to achieve your New Year's resolution or not; the only real failure is the failure in not trying. We all have areas of our busi- ness and professional lives that can be improved upon … make a point this year to stop the cycle of New Year's resolutions that go nowhere. —Joe Delich, Chief Operating Officer, STAR Opening address 6 R INK MAGAZ INE January/February 2009 E Greg Anzelc Tim Jones, Barclay Kruse, Cory Portner, Jimmie Santee, Kevin Sackville, Carey Tinkelenberg, Susi Wehrli, Dave Wescott Wayne Aussem, Dave Gyger, Jeff Theiler, Mark Vaughan Mike DeArmond Dave Jensen Bryan Nelson www.rinkmagazine.com info@rinkmagazine.com Editor: Contributing Writers: Editorial Board: Design & Production: Sales & Marketing: Advertising: Internet Address: Email: PUBLISHING PARTNER 777 Westchester Avenue, Suite 100 White Plains, NY 10604 Phone: (914) 694-1200, Fax: (914) 694-1002 CEO: Steve Farbman President: James McEwen MINNESOTA OFFICE 505 North Highway 169, Suite 465, Minneapolis, MN 55441 phone: (763) 595-0808, fax: (763) 595-0016, touchpointsports.com | info@touchpointsports.com S T A R www.starrinks.com • www.rinkmagazine.com • www.narce.com Mission of STAR: "To be the premier national organization designed to foster the development, growth and success of ice skating rinks and in-line facilities in the United States." STAR is a program of USA Hockey and US Figure Skating Volume 12 Number 1 Joe Delich Dave Wescott Don Moffatt Cory Portner 719-538-1149 719-538-1160 info@starrinks.com Chief Operating Officer: Director, Facility Programs: Director, Facility Programs: Manager, Facility Programs: phone: fax: email: RINK Magazine is the definitive business publication for professionals in the ice rink industry and is the leading source for information on facility management, operat ions and construction. Senior Vice President: David Jensen Vice President: Greg Anzelc Controller: Linda Allison Production Manager: Wade Martin Production: Mike DeArmond Advertising Sales: Bryan Nelson Production and Sales Coordinator: Gina Krusemark New Year's Resolutions: The Only Real Failure Is The Failure To Try

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