Economy or Creativity? Which is it?

Wii. IPhone. ITouch. Rock Band. Last year brought us novel and new gifts we had to get our hands on. We didn't want to be left behind or to have our children left behind.

So what is new this year? Nothing. There is really no new gift that we have to have. In today's economy that is a death knoll. Even TVs aren't flying this year as many people are choosing until February to see what happens with HDTV before they buy a new TV.

Unfortunately I think many people will look at the slowing sales this Christmas and say it is due to the economy. I think that innovation is as much at fault. I found last years Best Buy ads for December under a pile of magazines at my house (okay so know you have an idea of how good of a house cleaner I am!) and I started to thumb through them to see what items were new. Unfortunately if I put last year's ads down next to this year, you would be hard pressed to tell which was from 2007 and which was from 2008.

So, in today's times, let's not lose our opportunity to be innovative and creative. The time is now to re-invent you , your business, and your life! Don't become stale like this year's Christmas offerings!

Action Plan: Look at what you have done in the last 90 days to change your routine, improve your processes or re-invent you! Challenge yourself to change three things over the next 30 days and see what happens.

Anne Warfield