Day 20

Well, Christmas is officially over. I took down the tree this morning and packed up the ornaments for another year. The living room looks a little bare without the festive stockings filled with dog treats and the tree covered with Dalmatian shaped ornaments collected over the years. I wish the holiday season lasted a bit longer. Clients are more forgiving during the holidays. Overeating isn't a vice during the holidays and sleeping in late is almost expected.

Now it's January. There's nothing festive about January. This is the month for pulling together last year's tax information for your accountant. It is the month when you realize your contact list is completely out of date and it's time to start prospecting for new business again. It is the month when you finally have to admit that most of last year's goals were not actually met.

Nevertheless, if you can't be optimistic in January, when can you be optimistic? Maybe the stock market will continue to improve this year and I can finally get back to even. Maybe Technorati will start tracking this blog and I'll get tons of new followers. Maybe iStockphoto will quit telling me that I over-process my photos and start accepting the images I've been sending them. Maybe the Germans who used to give me tons of work will re-discover me on XING and my company will become fashionable in Europe again. Stranger things have happened. January is cold and a bit dismal, but it is not a month for giving up. Reality doesn't usually set in until at least April 15.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day