5 Thoughts To Improve Your 2024

Bob Ganzak • February 24, 2024

I wonder how many of us have already fallen back into the old routine that we promised to leave behind with the end of 2023. I am not sure that any of us really truly know what is going on in our world anymore. The pace of change is at a speed that is incredibly elusive, we try to hold on, it is just next to impossible. I watch people striving to make money, others doing everything they can do just to slow the spinning down and most of us are holding on for dear life every day. Yes, the machine of life rages on.


What tools are we utilizing to help us get to where we want to be in the future? Some of us have a plan and a direction that we have set forth in our lives. Huge events that will define our year. I spoke with my daughter earlier today and we were talking about her writing skills. She told me that she does not do much writing anymore, that she is focusing on a smaller number of things, with her career path at the very top of the list. She also has her wedding coming up later in the year, so that is one of those HUGE events I mentioned earlier and it will be something that defines her year. When we finished our chat, I felt confident that she had a good grasp on the year ahead.


Now I am not one of the most organized people in the world, so many of the challenges that I experience are self-inflicted. When you add that to the complexities of life in 2024 the results can be disastrous. SO I have come up with five simple things that we can all do that will have a more positive effect on our year.

1) Trust Your Instincts

There are certain areas of our lives that when something happens we have this burning feeling in our gut that is shouting at us, and too often, we ignore it. If it is saying “NO” to somebody or saying “YES” to somebody, we usually do not act on our instinct. We start to rationalize it, dissect the issue or ask for outside influence. All of those things are good in their own time and place, it is just that too often, our own gut instinct is the best line for us to take. So this year, try to trust your own instincts at times.


2) Don’t Try To Please Everyone

One of my biggest challenges. I really do not like to let people down so I will tend to overpromise or try to do the impossible if someone asks for it. The only thing that happens is that I usually let them down and stress myself to my limits in trying not to. Included in this is saying exactly what you mean. I do not suggest that you be rude or obnoxious, yet there are times when we say things that box ourselves into a corner solely because we are trying to please the other person. Make it a habit to face the fear of the tough conversation, in the long run, you will be less stressed and more highly respected.


3) Avoid The Negativity of Pointless Drama

There are certain things in this life that we can control and those things we cannot. Learning to define those is an art for some people and a bottomless pit for those that cannot. To be informed as to what is going on in our world is important, to be immersed in the drama of the world can be dangerous. I try to avoid the news as much as possible. I have learned to go to certain places where I can get the facts without the opinions of others. Centering on those things I can control has brought a fresher feel to my life and my blood pressure spends more time at the lower end of the spectrum.


4) Be Good To You

In my line of work, I get to hear many people talk about their lives, their ups, and downs. One of the items that always grabs my attention is how some people speak negatively about themselves as a person. Now I am sure that all of us have a few qualities that we would like to improve on when it comes to who we are, but you do not have to broadcast your shortcomings to others over and over. Learn to speak highly of yourself, accentuate the positive parts of your personality and who you are. Our minds tend to lean towards the most dominant thoughts, so if you are constantly talking yourself down, you are in essence, paving the way for that behavior. By learning to live one day at a time, you can learn to eat healthier, think healthier and be healthier. If you have a bad day, put it behind you and start the next day with a clean slate.



5) Never Give Up On Your Dream

The pace of life can suck us into a certain lifestyle. So many of us get to the point that we are working to survive or living without purpose just waiting for that final breath. The rigors of life can be harsh and can push us offline and into a rut that we cannot get out of. Evaluate the things you want in your life, and then educate yourself on how to achieve them. Of course staying within reality is a must, because dreams that are not realistic can have a negative affect on us. Still, on the other hand, challenge yourself to goals that are realistic, ones that push your limits.


The calendar gives us this “End of the year” feel and the “Start of a new”, in reality, our bodies don’t know the difference. So if you get off target in the first month or the second, big deal, every day is a new opportunity for a fresh start. Because it says January or April makes no difference, you are an incredible creature that God put on this earth and today is the best day to start living the life you deserve!

Focus on the Good: Lifting Others Up in Their Lowest Moments

By Bob Ganzak • February 24, 2024
Everyone has their low moments, even us. At times, it’s easy to feel down, lonely, and helpless. In these trying times, it is crucial to support one another and find the good in others, even when it feels impossible. Today we explore ways we can help lift others up when they are at their lowest, and in turn, positively impact each other’s lives. 

Office Culture: What It Means To Employee Engagement

By Bob Ganzak • February 24, 2024
There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.This morning I took a short walk out my back door and onto the 12th fairway of the golf course we live on. The sun was bright, the cool crisp 35-degree air nipped at my ear lobes. I strolled up the green grass, yes the grass is green here in Georgia and took in the surroundings of the course. Not a soul in site and the only sound was the cars in the distant traveling north and south on I-75. I was not thinking about the game of golf, I was just taking a few minutes to connect with nature and the beauty of the moment. As I walked back up the hill to our yard, I could not help but to chuckle over the fact that nobody was on the course. You see, I lived most of my years in Michigan, and if we had a morning like this in March, where you could see the grass, the sun was out bright and the temps over 35, the golf courses would have been bustling with players. Office buildings would be short a member or two and there would be business being done at the course. Why is it that I would have no interest to even think about playing a round of golf in this weather in Georgia, yet in Michigan, I would have been one of the first ones to get a group together to play? We get so used to our surrounding environment that we shift our ways of life. We get spoiled by things that we take for granted and forget the obstacles that we once dealt with happily in other places. The things that could not hold us back in once place become stifling in another. The same goes for the culture in your office. During my years in radio, I worked in many different markets, many different stations and of course, many different cultures. There were positive, negative, sales oriented, program-oriented, and some that were a mixture of both. I had General Managers who were brought up through the ranks of being a disc-jockey and those that came out of sales. Each one brought a new and different approach and in turn, we had to be flexible. The key to longevity and success was being able to navigate through the different environments. In my world today, in Dale Carnegie, I get to listen to our participants talk about their work environments, their obstacles of navigation. The stories can be joyous or heartbreaking, though some handle both ends better than others. We know that employee engagement is driven by three major points, your relationship with your supervisor, your belief in senior leadership and the pride one has in the organization. Now even if you click on all three it is not a guarantee of strong employee engagement, ultimately that is up to the individual. What it does do is help to create an atmosphere that is conducive to positive employee engagement. Culture is defined as, the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization. Work Culture…how is yours?
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