Say Hello to 2024 With Your New Year’s Dissolutions

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed in this publication do not reflect the views of SMPS, the SMPS San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, or even the views of the author if we’re being honest. It’s meant to be a joke. Please don’t cancel us. We just renewed our gym memberships.

January has always been a time for new beginnings. As the saying goes, “New year, new me.” But it’s more like, “New year, slightly better me”—at least until “Dry January” ends or that first proposal drops. Then, reality hits and you’re back to your old ways because life is too short, and working out sucks, and people are mean, and becoming a Tiktok star is not really a viable career at this point. 

We get it. Resolutions are hard to keep. So instead of saying yes to picking up a good habit or two, why not start the year off by breaking some not-so-nice ones? Say hello to your New Year’s dissolutions.

Repeat after me: “I solemnly swear that, I will—to the best of my abilities and with the assistance of as many legal substances as necessary—at the very least, try to refrain from doing the following…”

1. Schedule Meetings That Could’ve Been an Email

Okay, fine. No one in the history of your firm has ever read their email but do we really need to sit around for half an hour just to arrive at the same conclusion that whatever it is we’re planning is an absolutely terrible idea? I didn’t think so. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that our time is precious. Unless critical decisions need to be made with all stakeholders involved, a simple email or quick chat will do.

And if you find yourself at the receiving end of said meeting, rest assured that the word “No” is a complete sentence. You’ve got better things to do than to sit around listening to other people get in their own way.

2. Put Up With People Who Ask For Things at the Last Minute

Speaking of valuing other people’s time, there’s nothing worse than the unnecessary fire drill on a Thursday afternoon—especially when you realize that the only copy of the RFP has been sitting in someone’s inbox for the last three weeks. In an industry where everything is on fire all the time, the term “urgent” has become devoid of all meaning and has most likely led to unhealthy coping mechanisms that you will never ever quit, despite all your so-called friends guilting you into doing “Dry January.”

Don’t be a martyr. Instead, be the change that stands up to over a century of generational trauma and set healthy boundaries or basic protocols to ensure that this no longer happens. No means no. Period.

3. Criticize the Layout and Not the Content

Not all feedback is created equal. If the aim is to help improve the outcome of the deliverable, you might want to avoid dwelling on the superficial and focus on the heart of the matter. Graphics are important to some degree, but your firm isn’t going to win a multi-million-dollar project based on your choice of landscape orientation. But hey, I could be wrong. Stranger things have happened.

If the situation were reversed and no one on your team has even attempted to read the content, simply remove all the pretty pictures from your proposal so they can do their damn job.

4. Bail on SMPS Events (shameless plug)

Unless you’re one of the unlucky few who are required to come into the office every day, chances are you’ve grown accustomed to #RemoteLife and the luxury of lying on the couch or doing your laundry while on one of those pointless calls that could’ve been an email. However, a lot can be said about having meaningful social interactions with people in real life (remember those?).

Whether it’s furthering your career through Mentorship Pathways or letting off some steam during one of our truly underrated Happy Hours, SMPS has a slew of unforgettable events throughout the year that will make you realize that people aren’t so bad after all (in small doses) or at least make your “Dry January” worth it. Sign up to our newsletter and check our events calendar at smspsf.org.

5. Be Nice For the Sake of Being Liked

Let’s be honest, I think we can all agree that—in this industry, as in life—hell is other people. There’s no escaping that fact that when you cram a group of diverse personalities into a dynamic, fast-paced, high-pressure environment where the word “urgent” has become devoid of all meaning, the workplace turns into a treacherous minefield of short tempers, fragile egos, and disassociated employees who dream of becoming the next TikTok star. Unfortunately, in this hypersensitive, Cancel Culture-fueled reality, anything you say or do will be used against you in the court of public opinion.

So, if you’re someone who tends to walk on eggshells to maintain that “nice” reputation, you may want to see a therapist and address that anxious attachment you picked up from all your childhood trauma. While being liked at the office can go a long way, going out of your way to please other people for the sake of winning their approval can lead to unwanted consequences. You can be nice without being a pushover just like you can be firm without being rude.

There’s nothing wrong with New Year’s resolutions. The fact that you were honest enough with yourself to admit that something needs to change is a good indication that you’re heading in the right direction. But if there’s one thing you should absolutely stop doing in 2024, it’s to be so damn hard on yourself. Even the most consistent people have their off days. They just don’t post it on social media.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. And you’ve only got one. So don’t feel bad if you had a cheat day in January (or a cheat week). Incremental improvements over time lead to positive results. Just try to stick with it and you’ll be just fine.

Lance Curt is a Marketing and Communications Consultant, specializing in content development, wordsmithing, and the occasional FAIA recommendation letter. Throughout his decades-long career, he has collaborated with every three-letter firm in the A/E/C industry, among many others. He obtained his MFA in Creative Writing from Cornell University and was voted “most likely to own a cat” by his peers two years in a row.