We asked the industry: What are your New Year's resolutions?
Bhaskar Bhateja, Strategy Planning Director at TBWA/Raad
I’d like to think of resolutions from two perspectives: personal and professional, although they can never be separate.
On the professional side, one of the things that I love about our industry is the proximity we have to people. There was a time when we used to talk to so many people for the smallest of projects. Now, that has been replaced by the plethora of data we have. While more data is always welcome, my resolution for 2023 is to get closer to people, in the real sense, not just through computer screens and numbers. To talk to people from different backgrounds, share a few moments of fun, and have casual conversations. And to do this not as a goal that I want to achieve, not for the pursuit of insights or information, but just to enjoy meeting someone in all its fullness.
Varsha Muckatira, Manager - Corporate & Consumer at Weber Shandwick
My New Year’s resolution is to try to push myself out of my comfort zone a little more than this year – be it within my personal or professional life. On the professional front, I would like to venture into more industry areas I may not have experience in, to grow my own skill set and also my understanding of communications in this space. On the personal front, I am keen to take on more challenges, be they sport or adventure-based, and ideally would set a goal of experiencing this in a new country to help me expand my boundaries.
Muntaha Shaikh, Account Executive at Edelman
If there’s anything I’ve learned in a post-pandemic world, it is to prioritize ourselves above all else. I want to make promises to myself that I know I will keep since we often make resolutions with great dedication but rarely follow them with passion. So here is my New Year’s resolution: prioritize myself, focus on my mental well-being, and create a work-life balance. Working in PR, we’re always on our toes, and once you settle into it, it’s a never-ending cycle. Amid the pandemic, when the world halted, I was fortunate enough to re-evaluate myself and do things that made me feel alive; I started writing poems, reading books, baking, and so on. I want to continue doing all the things I did during that time. Here’s wishing everyone a prosperous and happy New Year – cherish your achievements, honor your boundaries, and be kind to yourself and those around you.
Stephen Worsley, Senior Vice President at Asda’a BCW
Earlier this year, my agency set up a new practice called OnePoint5, inspired by our most important sustainability goal of all, limiting global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Many organizations these days, big and small, want to make a positive difference in the world. This not only involves communicating differently but also acting differently. OnePoint5 was established to help organizations do just that – to bridge the so-called say-do gap. So, my New Year’s resolution would be to help OnePoint5 carve out a niche for itself in what is destined to become a significant market, particularly after the UN Climate Change Conference, aka COP, in Egypt, and with the UAE hosting the same event in 2023.
