I’m just coming back into orbit after a nice holiday from business and blogging. I had some time over the break to think about the year past and the year ahead, to reconnect with some old friends, and to meet some new ones. A number of people asked about my resolutions for the new year, and I had to say I’ve stopped doing resolutions. I used to get amped up about change and big aspirations, and write down ambitious goals for the new year. A few decades of the expectation-and-disappointment cycle showed me that process didn’t work for me–it was more of a rut. But stepping back once a year to reflect on where I’ve come from and where I’m going is good. So instead of resolutions, I now ask myself three questions that I take enough time to think deeply about and write down so I can return to them when I need to:

What are the most important things I learned this past year?
What are the opportunities I missed?
What do I want most for the coming year?

As an example, one of the most important things I learned this past year–and keep relearning over and over again–is the importance of my social network. Who I connect with is a choice that matters. There are a number of people I’ve missed the opportunity to connect with over the past year, and I want to get beyond the ubiquitous excuse of being too busy to connect with these people this year. The best way I can see to make that happen is to leverage my blog to forge those connections. So look for more engagement on Marketonomy this year with people in the business and marketing communities that have a compelling vision.