January 2011


There’s no denying it; 2011 is here.  Regardless of the fact that I’m still not quite sure where 2010 went, the year has come and gone.  Each year I make it a tradition to start anew; I celebrate the wins of the past year; I learn from the mistakes, shortcomings and failures of the year gone by, and I sketch out a list of the top few items I intend to accomplish.  I’m not simply creating new-year’s resolutions; I think of my process as more of a charting out a roadmap to success.

This year seemed a bit different, however.  I didn’t meet my year-end tradition with the usual excitement with which I normally address the custom.  Rather, I faced the ritual as more of a sentence that was being externally imposed upon me.  With all of the enthusiasm of a sixth-grader about to tackle fractions homework in math, I plopped down at my desk and stared at an empty page.

Thinking that a little inspiration would do the trick, I pulled out a goal-setting book that has inspired me in the past.  The book began, “This could be the year that changes it all!  No matter how it’s been in the past—good or bad—this is your year, My Friend!  No matter what you’ve accomplished or not accomplished before, get ready to rock!”

I found myself rolling my eyes, not sure that I was ready to rock, or even if I was ready, that I particularly wanted to rock.  I didn’t know that I believed this could be the year that changes it all.  Let’s face it; the past couple of years have been tough.  It seems that all of us have had to face and deal with a lot, whether that be simply tightening our belts or learning to do without, to suffering full-fledged and utter loss.  And that’s just on the financial side.  I’ve seen couples divorcing at what seems like an unusually high rate; people having lost jobs and ended careers, and just having had a great deal to handle overall.  I’m not saying that’s a bad thing—mind you, I’m not saying it’s a good thing, either—I’m simply stating that as I create 2011 I can’t simply step over the past several years as if they haven’t impacted me in new and unusual ways.  I’m grateful for many of the gifts that the challenging times have brought; I cherish how close my family and friends and I have become out of relying on each other in new and deeper ways, and I love how resourceful I’ve become in finding new ways to streamline my efficiency and operate my business.  It’s just that I have to take in all of that—the entirety of the experience of the past few years, good and bad—before I can put pen to paper and get ready to rock.

One thing I must do is thank and acknowledge each of you.  It’s a privilege and a pleasure to walk the path of this life with you.  For each of you I am grateful and for each of you I wish a blessed 2011.  And, if you’re so inclined, I wish you a new year that rocks.

Joel J. Loquvam

Attorney At Law