I’ve been thinking a lot lately about New Year’s resolutions…how we aim to better ourselves in the new year…

It isn’t that I haven’t thought about them in years previous to this one…its just that this year, i thought about them a little more.

I think i’ve come up with something attainable this year…not the standard “i’m going to lose X amount of weight” or “i’m going to enjoy every minute with my children”.  Although good goals to have, they never quite seem to happen, and then leave me disappointed come December 31.

Here is my list this year…and why…I hope its inspiring.

1) I resolve to get in better shape this year. Notice…i did not say I resolve to lose X amount of weight. If that comes with it, great…but if not, I still expect that my heart health will thank me for exercising more this year than I ever have. I also hope to enter a 5K this summer…walking, or running, i don’t care which…

and

2) I resolve to notice (and recognize) good customer service instead of just complaining about bad.

At work, we’ve been dealing with customer service issues…and how to be better at our very public jobs. And in the recent past, I have had two exemplary customer service interactions that i have appreciated. I noticed, and recognized, both of these…and know I made a difference in someone’s day because I did.

Let me tell you one story…I was in an outlet mall last week, and Ellie was pretending she was trying on clothes, right alongside daddy. When it was our turn to pay, she got right up there, put her imaginary clothes on the counter, and told the checker that these were her clothes and she wanted to pay for them. The checker smiled and said to her how beautiful her clothes were. I thought it was nice…but didn’t think much more of it until after she had put my clothes in a bag and handed them to me and then did the exact same thing with Ellie’s pretend clothing. I was impressed with her ability to smile and indulge a three-year-old’s shopping trip. What great customer service. I only wish she had a name tag on so i could have recognized her service to her boss, instead of just thanking her.

So, now that I’ve indulged you with my list…

What do you resolve this year?