News Year Resolutions

Those who know me, know I don't actually believe in New Year's Resolutions.  They feel like they're made to be broken.  We should be focusing on bettering ourselves every day of every month of every year.  We should be aiming for bigger and better.

Now, I'm not saying it's not worth having goals.  But you gotta be realistic with them, start small, and expand on them through the course of the year.  Want to work out?  Awesome.  But don't jump headfirst into the pool, only to realize you're not seeing massive results right away, so you get discouraged.  Want to start a new business?  Don't expect millions of dollars right away.  You need to work yourself up for it.

Anyways, now that I have that out of the way, I do believe in "lifestyle changes."  For a few years, I had a few things that I wanted to do and set out to do them.  Whether it was checking out a few more concerts or going to a ballpark, or learning some new recipes and playing more guitar, they were easily attainable.  And for the most part, it was a success.

While I was driving around the other day, I got to thinking about "News Year Resolutions" (see what I did there?)  As all of you know, I've been on my "mission to civilize" for a while and that won't stop.  But what I think I've come up with is a trio of things I can do to help in my mission:

#1. Good News
Sometimes, the trouble with good news is that some people will lean on the old sayings of "must be a slow news day" or "this isn't news."  And that's fine.  Different strokes for different folks.  But there is good in this world.  One of my favorite stories I've worked on in the past few years was about a group of homeless men who donated money to a kids' charity.  We have to report on the bad news of the world, that's a given.  But we can't turn a blind eye to the good stories in the process.  My resolution here is to share more of the good stories.

#2. Bad News
When the bad news does hit, it's important for all of us to take care of each other.  As I pointed out in a previous blog about the effects of these kinds of stories on reporters, it does pale in comparison to what those truly impacted have to deal with.  But we can't sit in silence over it either.  These stories expose everyone, from reporters to viewers/listeners/readers, to a roller-coaster of emotion.  The story of Taliyah Marsman and her mother, Sara Baillie, struck a particular chord for me this year.  These stories are important to tell, especially when it comes to the human element.

#3. Take A Snooze
So many ways I could have gone with this, but the bottom line is we all need to stop and smell the roses at some point.  As reporters, we're wired to be "in the know" on everything, but it quickly leads to burn out.  Our phones are on all the time and it's easy to let an 8- or 9-hour day turn into 15- or 16-hours.  The same goes for consumers.  And it's starting to feel like everyone needs to take a Snickers bar.  I'm not trying to diminish the sense of urgency, disappointment or disgust you or anyone else is feeling, because it is (for the most part) warranted.  But, there comes a point where we have to spend at least a few minutes realizing that the world can be a pretty spectacular place as well.  We have to remember: this is real life.

I get the feeling 2016 was a rough, rotten year for a lot of people, for a variety of reasons.  Here's hoping the Christmas season (or holidays, or whatever it is you're celebrating) allowed some time for a deep breath.  Let's let 2017 be a year of understanding, healing and moving on to making this world a great place to be.