Changing Course
This is the start of another
year. Wow, where did 2001 go? What can we expect in 2002?
Someone once said,
“Nothing is constant except change”.
All of us have been changed
by the September 11th tragedy. Some lost loved ones, others lost
income producing flight time, and all of us have been affected in some way. Many
states and provinces have seen their budgets reduced, some flight programs
curtailed or eliminated.
We are at war against terrorism. We had an already-stumbling economy and after
September, it went into a recession. We have had recessions before and we will
have them again. At first thought, terrorism and its problems seem to tip the
scales toward the negative. But…wait … step back and take a longer look.
This past year also brought a rekindling of human spirit, a resurgence of
patriotism, a national pride not seen for years. Maybe in the long run that will
be the real success of 2001. So, keep up the spirit! Work with a better attitude
than last year. Fly your national colors high and proud, work with a new spirit.
Good does prevail over evil and we will succeed.
A new year is the perfect
time to update your immediate goals. Let it serve as a wake-up call regarding
problems that affect your job or your family.
Check your attitude. Have
you become complacent, lost your creativity, or stopped caring about your job?
Ask your family and friends what they think. You do a pre-flight before you take
off in your craft, why not do an attitude check on yourself for this year.
Step up to the scales. Have
you put on a few pounds during the holidays? If you gained excessive weight,
resolve to start exercising regularly along with eating sensibly. Exercise can
improve your mental health as well as your physical being. I quit running 2
miles every other day and when it was time for a flight physical, found my blood
pressure was getting too high. I’m not over weight, but I must admit, I was
eating too much salty food. I had to make adjustments.
Tune up your social skills.
Have you been sociable lately? Have you isolated yourself from family, friends
and coworkers? When was the last time you invited friends over or went to
someone else’s home for a purely social visit?
What was the last
professional magazine, journal, or book you read? Are you watching
business or government trends to see if your industry is changing? If you think
it hasn’t after Sept. 11th, you better look again.
Take control of your credit
card balance. If, after the holidays you have more than a $1,
000 balance on your credit card, realistically determine if you will be able to
pay it off when the next bill comes. If not, you may need to regain control of
your finances. Stop buying things you don’t absolutely need until your
credit card debt is zero. I can tell you from personal experience, it is one of
the best feelings in the world to you get a statement from the credit card
company and the balance is zero. With interest rates low, maybe you
should consider a home equity loan or a personal loan at a lower interest rate
than what the credit card companies charge.
Instead of going along from
month to month making ends meet, look five to 10 years out and decide where you
want to be financially and professionally. Then, determine what you need to do
to accomplish your goals. If, after reviewing the above ideas, you are truly
happy with your personal, family and professional life, stay on course.
What’s all this got to do
with natural resource pilots? Everything! No matter what our jobs might be, we
need a personal check ride and this is the perfect time.
I look forward with
excitement into 2002. We are making plans for an exciting annual meeting this
year in Wisconsin. Review you yearly schedule, make plans to attend, we have
some great sessions planned and you won’t want to miss it. I am very proud of
the International Association of Natural Resource Pilots and the positive
attitude you share with others.
Keep up the good work!
George Peachee
President
