New Year’s Resolutions

New Year's Resolutions

Why do New Year's Resolutions fail? Research suggests that part of the challenge is that the actual resolutions are too large/complex/difficult to achieve (e.g., I will lose 30 pounds by June 1st). And when we inevitably fail to reach the goal, we give up, telling ourselves "Well, I guess I just can't do that."

I see the same thing happening with data management. An unrealistic goal is set (e.g. "We'll have 99.5% accuracy with our email delivery by the end of the month!") and when the goal is (invariably) not reached, everyone declares "Welp, this is hopeless, no point in trying!"

A better approach is to set less specific and more achievable goals and to measure your progress frequently.

Suppose you have 80% email deliverability now. A more achievable goal would be to say "We're going to increase deliverability over the next three months," and then measure your progress every couple of weeks for the next three months. Some weeks you'll improve, some you may not. But you'll be working in the right direction and you'll likely develop a habit of continuing to work in that direction.

The idea isn't perfection (which can't be achieved) but progress, improvement, and success.

So what kind of New Year's Resolutions have you set for your data management? And are they realistic?

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Painting the Bridge

May 24, 2023

Painting the Bridge According to this article, the Golden Gate Bridge is painted continuously year-round. …

Painting the Bridge Read More »

Maintenance isn’t sexy

May 17, 2023

Maintenance isn’t sexy I remember reading once long ago that one of the reasons our …

Maintenance isn’t sexy Read More »

“Will I still have a job when this is done?”

May 10, 2023

“Will I still have a job when this is done? While working with a client …

“Will I still have a job when this is done?” Read More »

Evolution, not revolution

May 3, 2023

Evolution, not revolution I don’t recall where I first heard it many decades ago, but …

Evolution, not revolution Read More »

The power of the users’ group

April 26, 2023

The power of the users’ group Recently in an online users group forum for an …

The power of the users’ group Read More »

Who is your data evangelist?

April 19, 2023

Who is your data evangelist? I was recently talking with a client of mine about …

Who is your data evangelist? Read More »

Who is your data evangelist?

April 19, 2023

Who is your data evangelist? I was recently talking with a client of mine about …

Who is your data evangelist? Read More »

Ratio of Data to Errors

April 12, 2023

Ratio of Data to Errors One of the elements of a good data governance plan …

Ratio of Data to Errors Read More »

Back to basics

April 5, 2023

Back to basics Over the past couple of years I’ve noticed that some AMS vendors …

Back to basics Read More »

Your people matter

March 29, 2023

Your people matter I’ve written many times about how people, process, and technology have to …

Your people matter Read More »

Scroll to Top