Like a Boss: Executive New Year’s Resolutions

By Samantha Cart

In a few short weeks, millions of people around the world will resolve to make self-improvements in honor of a new year. While some will vow to exercise daily, quit smoking or give up carbs, others will pledge to save more money or watch less TV. While these are all great goals, some people make the same resolutions year after year because they fail to find success with them. Research has proven that more than 50 percent of New Year’s resolutions are broken within three months as our set-in-stone routines and habits take over.

However, research has also shown that goal setting is directly related to success. Goal setting helps motivate high achievers, from athletes to entrepreneurs, and is an important part of innovation. This is especially true in a small state like West Virginia. West Virginians pride themselves on hard work and problem solving. While the Mountain State is a truly great place to start a career, its noteworthy executives didn’t come by their success without setting goals and finding the determination to achieve them. In honor of that Mountaineer spirit, West Virginia Executive reached out to several professionals in the Mountain State to find out which resolutions they will set for the New Year to help further their success. Whether personal or professional, these goals paint a clear picture of why the following West Virginians are at the top of their fields.

Mike Clowser

Executive Director, Contractors Association of West Virginia

“My resolution is to embrace change. The Contractor’s Association of West Virginia board of directors will meet in January to develop its next three-year strategic plan. Changes our association has made over the years have contained some degree of uncertainty or apprehension. However, new and greater opportunities surfaced that would not have been possible had change not occurred.”

Berniece Collis

Vice President, Minghini’s General Contractors, Inc.

“My goal for the New Year is to stay focused on succession planning—to get the skeleton of the plan in place and get ready to implement when the time is right for transition to the next generation.”

John Deskins, Ph.D.

Director, Bureau of Business & Economic Research

“My resolution is to play my guitar more often. It is so great for mental health. I need to make time for it.”

Kensie Hamilton Fauber

Editor in Chief, Executive Ink, LLC

“My New Year’s resolution is to be more organized. I think this will help me achieve what I am calling my work/life shuffle. While it’s never perfectly balanced, and sometimes one has to take priority over the other, I think organization goes a long way in being successful both at work and at home.”

Susan Lavenski

CEO, Charles Ryan Associates

“For 2019, I have both a personal New Year’s resolution and a business New Year’s resolution. Personally, I want to have more of a work/life balance. In 2018, my travel schedule combined with working long hours and weekends was very challenging. My business New Year’s resolution is to continue to have the kind of growth we have seen the last three years. However, to achieve that growth, the long hours and travel are a necessity. So I have to laugh as I seem to already have a conflict as 2019 begins.”

Jamie Parsell Null

Executive Director, Mercer County Convention & Visitors Bureau

“My resolution is to continue to make Mercer County and the rest of West Virginia a top tourist destination. Our rivers, mountains, ATV trails and people are some of the best-kept secrets in the country. As a native West Virginian, my goal is to help create a community where people want to live and work and a place where visitors want to relax and play. Tourism helps create quality of life and economic diversity. There is nothing like it in the entire state—an industry that gives back to the people, whether it is with fun memories on vacation or the tax break from visitor spending. I can’t think of better way to ring in 2019 than in Almost Heaven, West Virginia.”

Howard Seufer, Jr.

Partner and Education Law Group Leader, Bowles Rice LLP

“The highlight of my week every week is as a Read Aloud volunteer for third graders on Thursday mornings at 9 a.m. The appointment is sacrosanct on my calendar, no matter how busy things may seem. I always return from the school in an upbeat mood, inspired by the youngsters’ creativity, imaginations and joy in simple things. There is a common expression that proclaims ‘so many books, so little time.’ The truth is rarely so clearly stated. As a volunteer reader with Read Aloud West Virginia, I witness the gift and wonder of the written word on a regular basis. I see the minds and imaginations of children expand with the turning of every page. Therefore, my resolution for 2019 is to not only continue reading to the students at Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary School in Charleston but to also nurture that childlike fascination with a well-told story in my personal life. I resolve to make the time for as many books as possible.”

Sandy Sponaugle

Marketing & PR Consultant and CEO, PlatinumPR.com

“Professionally, my resolution is to deliver more keynote talks around the country as well as lead more workshops. Personally, my New Year’s resolution is to do more of the activities that excite me. I’d like to launch a podcast and start a video series.”

Jen Wood Cunningham

Director of University Relations, West Virginia University Institute of Technology

“My resolutions is no non-urgent emails after 8 p.m. At a recent conference, I learned the importance of making space and time to be creative and disconnect. I will spend less time refreshing my emails on my phone. I know that if there’s an emergency, I’ll receive a phone call. I set up bypass rings so that if certain contacts call me, it will ring through even if my phone is on silent so that I don’t miss an important call. Through helpful tips from colleagues to put this into action, if I wish to send an email about something after 8 p.m. while it’s fresh in my mind, I can draft the email and save it. Before I leave for work the next morning, I go through my drafts and send the items that were saved. This prevents me from disturbing my staff and colleagues at 10 p.m. or 2 a.m., which I am known to do. I’ve started this practice a little already, but I hope to spend less time on my phone and computer and more time reading, being creative and actively spending time with friends and family.”