Planning for the New Year

It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of 2009. I was driving home from the gym earlier today and tuned into the 90's station on my satellite radio. I cannot believe that we celebrated the turn of the century ten years ago! Time sure does fly. I remember meeting my husband, than boyfriend, in Chicago ten years ago to celebrate the millennium. He was living in Aspen and I was living in Cincinnati. We met for the weekend in Chicago and stayed at a friend's house. I remember attending a party near Wrigley Field and dancing to Prince's Song "1999" and wandering what would the future bring?

One of my favorite quotes is by Einstein, "The rate of change will never be slower than it is today." We live in a fast-paced world where information can be sent and received from across the world in a matter of seconds. We can surf the Web from our Blackberries and IPhone and retrieve instant access to recipes, tutoring, directions, music, sports, dating and art right from a small mobile device that never leaves our side. Information has become a basic commodity, and we can gain access on almost any subject in seconds.

There is an old saying that information is power. Is that statement still true today? My belief is that networking is power. Getting connected to interesting people, sharing ideas and leveraging technology to increase connectivity leads to strength and innovation. What are your networking goals for 2010? How can you grow your network and connections? How can you make 2010 meaningful for your personal and professional growth?