Fundraising resolutions: mid year update

Almost 6 months ago I challenged myself with a list of resolutions for 2011. As we approach the midway point of the year, I thought it was time to take stock of how I'm doing, with a frank and honest self assessment.

- Increase my thirst for knowledge. I reckon I've succeeded with this one, so far at least. I've cast the net a little wider, and have stumbled across some terrific resources, most notably Mitch Joel's blog Six Pixels of Separation. I've also been more active on twitter, and as a result finding some real gold dust along the way. And I've become a LinkedIn junkie, spending more time on this platform than any other social outlet.

But, I can always do more.

- Stop putting things off. Again, happy that I've made stuff happen and haven't procrastinated. I took a leap of faith and set up my own business. I think that qualifies.

- Listen more. To those who I agree with, to those who think differently. Yes and no. There are times I do consciously stop and listen to something or someone I wouldn't naturally agree with. But I can definitely see why this is so important and reflecting on the last 6 months I can recall times where doing that has led to a really positive outcome, fuelling ideas I would not have otherwise found.

- Be tenacious about testing. Challenge conventional thinking, test more than ever. Failing at the half way mark. Trying, but failing. Must keep at it.

- Look outside. Not just outside the walls of the agency, but outside the sector. I rank this in line with the first point, and note again some of the people I now look to for constant inspiration. Running my own agency has meant reaching out to people I hadn't met in the past which is very cool.

- Empower others to do even better. There is always going to be a watching brief on this one, because it's what I do. I can see where I've made progress here, through the training and workshops I deliver, but there's no time for back slapping. Whenever you feel comfortable with what you've done, remind yourself of the words of the great creative thinker of our time Edward De Bono who says, "excellent, but not good enough".

- Get the balance right between learning from what worked and learning from what didn't. No doubt I learnt more in the past few months from stuff that didn't work that stuff that did. The things that didn't work force you to reassess everything and ask the tough questions. The things that do merely tell you at least one thing was right, whilst potentially masking mediocrity.

What about you? How are your resolutions looking?

Jonathon