A dream written down with a date is a goal. A resolution written down can become reality.

Just like in baseball, where hitters making positive contact 1/3 of the time is considered a successful venture, many of our new year’s resolutions will not stick, at least not initially. In fact, according to U.S. News, approximately 80% of resolutions fail by the second week of February, so the odds are good that you might stumble at first.

But that doesn’t mean one doesn't return to the plate again your next at-bat, with the same tenacity for success. It's hard work. It’s simple human nature at this juncture of January to create a set of resolutions. As the holiday pageantry peaks, year-end anxiety gives way to a rebooting of our personal – and our professional – endeavors in the year ahead.

At Datamax, Creating Raving Fans is a well-established mission. With that in mind, we offer a set of Raving Fan Resolutions for consideration in 2019.

Here are 3 of the Most Common New Year’s Resolutions Year after Year, and Why They Matter Here at Datamax:

1. Exercise Better Self Discipline.

Getting more exercise: It’s often at the top of everyone’s January 1 list. The soles of those new running shoes you just unwrapped Christmas morning? They're about to get a beating on the pavement. But a 5 a.m. wake up call? A neighborhood jog in 30 degree temps? That takes discipline if those shoes will still active by February.

We often think of self-discipline as it relates to diet, exercise, or other personal goals. But as a Datamax employee, our self-discipline affects those we work with as well. Here are just a couple of examples:

• Punctuality: Your mom (or in the Rave Review Editor’s case, junior high basketball coach), was right all along: “To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, and to be late is not to be.”
  The first sign of an organized, serious professional is punctuality. Good, reliable professionals are not late for anything, and nothing signals to others that someone is disorganized and unprofessional than consistently being late. Manage your time, to schedule enough time to get ready, get organized and arrive early.
  
• Accuracy: Organizationally, this is a key ingredient to how we differentiate ourselves from competitors, from Billing Accuracy to First Call Completion Rate. But what about your personal accuracy marks every day? Checking Canon’s SnapShot pre-call to ensure you’re fully prepared? How efficient and on the mark are you with sales paperwork – making sure you’re handing off all documentation to administration the right way, the first time?
  

2. Learn a New Skill.

Technology – much like life, Ferris Bueller – moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

Which would be a real crime considering the business we're in.

The leadership at Datamax offers a multitude of opportunities for developing your professional skills. (In fact: Datamax philosophy #4 reads: "To invest in the continued development of our employees’ skills and knowledge").

The ongoing training that technicians commit to as part of the Canon ATSP program is a great testament to our company cultural stance on education. As Mark McKinney, Service Manager for Datamax Arkansas says, “For our customers, this ATSP Certification guarantees that when one of our technicians walks in to work on a machine, they have a high level of expertise on that equipment."

But ALL employees have access to tools that develop new skills and refine existing ones. One such example is Knowledgewave, an online resource Datamax has partnered with. Training options include: Word, Excel, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, Office 365, and many more.

VP of Strategic Technology Justin Huffaker considers himself “decent” with Microsoft Excel. But he’s darned if, in 15 minutes, he didn’t pick up several new tricks.

“You don’t have to be a novice to benefit from these  online tutorials,” Huffaker said. “We all use Word. We all use Excel. The hope is that you use the tools to elevate your understanding of each.”

Read the Datamax blogs. Take a look at the website periodically. Take interest in reading about our vastly changing and fast-moving industry.

3. Get Out and Volunteer.

As Winston Churchill said, "You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”

At Datamax, we connect technology solutions to help solve business challenges. But we also connect with the communities we serve. The past month was a perfect example!

It’s that same spirit that permeates DatamaxCares, the community-focused group within the Datamax organization. Utilizing a two-pronged approach of fundraising and volunteerism throughout every calendar year, DatamaxCares provides a way for people to get involved with Datamax, get involved with the community and be a part of something bigger.

DatamaxCares has served in homeless shelters. We've donated to halfway houses, volunteered labor hours at summer camps and served food to veterans.

Stay tuned to the Rave Review for details throughout the year. Your opportunity to volunteer is right here with Datamax! 

Here's 4 More Rock Solid Resolutions to Put in Your Back Pocket!

1. Elevate training and development...in ALL Departments.

2. Create a Raving Customer Experience... ALL the time.

3. Cheer and celebrate ALL employee efforts in the process.

4. Understand it takes ALL of us TOGETHER.

As Datamax opens the book on 2019, we're reminded of the Thomas Jefferson quote on page 20 of the Little Blue Book: "In matters of style, swim with the current. In matters of principle, stand like a rock." These four rock solid resolutions certainly apply to our 2019 theme of being ALL TOGETHER!