Resolved
January 3, 2002
A
New Year. How to make it different from the old year? The year just past
is over. And thank you very much that it is finally history. Nevertheless,
it is not simply another tired out old year.
It's
the one we would like to forget but won't be able to, for a really long
time. It would be better not forget about this year for a really long
time. We were all part of history and should count ourselves fortunate to
be able to talk about it.
It
was a year filled with perturbations of minor, major, and cataclysmic
proportions. Though we must try to learn from the past and remain
thoughtful about it, now is time to look forward.
Resolutions
are in order. These are posed as questions with the resolution coming
after the answer.
Question:
How did we miss how truly chaotic and unhappy many parts of the rest of
the world are? Maybe we just got used to it. Maybe it just didn't really
matter, before. Maybe it didn't get covered in the evening news. It
appears that we are far more sensitized to trouble in the world. We cannot
live in "splendid" isolation any longer.
Resolved:
What happens in some godforsaken part of the world matters to us, now. If
we ignore something long enough, it doesn't go away. We are painfully more
aware of that. Therefore, resolve to pay greater attention to misery and
conflict wherever it might be taking place.
No
doubt a lesson lurks there that can be applied to markets that we study.
Which leads to the next question and resolution.
Question:
Why didn't we all see the rapid slowing of commercial real estate markets
in the past year? For several years, opinions freely flew about market
"spikes," temporary aberrations, "irrational
exuberance" and the increases cannot go on forever. We just smugly
coasted along until one day, many of those office and industrial markets
we hold so dear as bellwethers looked different. How did we miss the
change? Did we miss something?
Resolved:
Let us look at these economic bubbles that create these unstable market
conditions with much more skepticism in the future. And let's pay greater
attention to fundamentals that cause market shifts and the means for
detecting them.
Question:
Why has it taken major destabilizing events in our lives for us beginning
to look for deeper meanings? It
is apparent that the vast majority spends far too much time seeking
immediate financial rewards - this necessary pursuit easily blinds us to
understanding fundamental concepts and how they affect our everyday lives.
Resolved:
To spend time looking beyond immediate and short term benefit Then, by
actually acting upon the results of our deliberations, positive benefits
may result.
Question:
Why do we constantly complain about the lack of time and never do anything
about it?
Maybe
because we might have to focus upon really important things to realize how
much of what we do in a day, week, month, or year, is selfish, trivial,
useless, or just done out of habit or a false sense of productivity or to
rationalize self-aggrandizing behavior?
Resolved:
To take the time to organize personal and work lives to regain lost time.
And then use the time gained for productive endeavors.
All
the usual resolutions must be considered, too. Eat better, sleep more,
exercise regularly, get home earlier, spend more time with family and
friends, travel, participate in one's community, advance one's profession,
work smarter, spend less and save more. These make the list year after
year. This year is a time to push those old resolutions aside for some
more useful and important ones.
Current Articles
| Archive Index
|
