Warning lights are flashing

Here’s a non-media related thought for you at year-end.

Last week all three of these things happened at once:
– a warning light came on in the dashboard of my car
– a warning light came on in the dashboard of our family car
– my primary care physician saw something he didn’t like and referred me to a surgeon for a more detailed exam

Dealing with all three problems was obviously a major distraction from my goals and year-end deadlines.

As I worked toward resolving each issue, I thought about how much easier and less stressful it is to take care of things proactively, before the “warning lights” go on and everything becomes urgent.

In 2014, let’s consider what’s most important and proactively address it now, before it becomes a crisis.

Struggling with a family relationship? Set aside your “busyness” and work on it.

Concerned about your health? Change your lifestyle before you get the ultimatum from your doctor.

Wondering about the direction of your career? Take that step you’ve been putting off.

As for my three minor crises, we worked through them one at a time: My car had a screw through a tire, the family car needed some new gaskets, and the surgeon said it was a false alarm. It’s way easier to take the call from the mechanic saying he needs $581 to fix your car when you just heard that you don’t need surgery.

I love sharing media relations advice with you, but I know it’s not the most important thing you deal with. Please accept my sincerest best wishes on succeeding where it matters most in the coming year.