When Steve Jobs died, I mourned the passing of a great innovator. He took objects other companies made and elevated them to conversation pieces. No cell phone, laptop, or pad-like objects were as popular or as talked about as the ones made by Apple. That got me thinking. What makes a great innovator? Can I be one? Where do I start? Let’s face it. Only a handful of people will ever invent something useful. The one place we can innovate is in our personal lives.

At the start of this new year, many people make resolutions. 83 % of people make the same resolutions every year! Maybe we should not be engaged in the same unsuccessful endeavor annually. This year, instead of making resolutions, maybe we should make plans to innovate our lives.

To innovate your life, you have to not just think outside  the box, but live outside the box. Wouldn’t it be great to face and conquer some fears and grow as a result? People make resolutions because they are hopeful for change. Most resolutions are not a good road map to get where you are going. What is the difference between a resolution and an innovation? A resolution says “I’ll work out more”. An innovation is saying “I’ll run a marathon this year”.  A resolution states “I’ll spend more time with my family”.  An innovation states “I’m taking my family to the Grand Canyon for a week”.

In 2012, I hope we can tap into the Steve Jobs in each of us and finish the year a better version of ourselves.