Stuck in a Rut? Try the New Year’s Resolution Substitute Theory

AGIIS Insider

Stuck in a Rut? Try the New Year’s Resolution Substitute Theory

By Josh Wall, AGIIS Product Manager

As you are reading this article, we are already one full month into 2023 and those of us that attempted to create a New Year’s Resolution are probably in the same boat. When we started the year, we had lofty goals and expectations, whether that was eating better, getting more exercise, reaching goals for work, or just being a better person.

Some of these resolutions are personal, others could be professional. But regardless, a month into the year most of us will admit we could probably be doing a little better (as I sit the potato chip bag down). According to the website “Discover Happy Habits”, after 1 month of establishing a New Year’s Resolution 36% of the people have called it quits, and after 6 months the percentage will increase to 54%.

The most common reasons for New Year’s resolution failures are that the resolution is not realistic and attainable, and that individuals simply lose motivation to continue. I personally believe it is not too late to get back on track and have a productive year. In fact, to help me keep my resolutions, I am proposing the New Year Resolution Substitute Theory.

In this theory, you identify a couple of small goals you would like to achieve and start with the low hanging fruit, instead of biting off the whole enchilada (no pun intended). Once you achieve the first goal, you move on to the next, and before you know it the previous success achieved is motivating you to tackle other, loftier goals.

I believe this theory can also be applied in our e-connectivity journeys. Many companies have big goals and plans at the beginning of the year on how they are going to increase efficiencies, reduce cost, and maximize profits. They get focused on the big picture but overlook all the little things in between that end up ultimately overwhelming the organization and cause it to fall short of its goals.

I would challenge you to review your e-connectivity goals this year and when doing so, take a step back and look at some of the challenges your organization faces. Is there low hanging fruit that can be addressed or some easy wins that can spur your organization on to another improvement? It is important to remember that you are not on this journey alone.

That is where being a member of AgGateway can be beneficial. AgGateway fosters an environment that promotes collaboration and provides resources that will assist you in this journey. Whether that is an industry Meet-Up where you can discuss challenges and solutions with peers or joining a Working Group and being part of solving the industry problem.

At the beginning of each year, as the Ag Industry Identification System (AGIIS) Product Manager, I will often have a discussion with an AGIIS Subscriber on how they should best utilize AGIIS for their organization. The Subscriber usually begins the discussion with the end goal they want to achieve with a trading partner, such as electronic ordering, sales reporting, inventory tracking, etc. Then, the next question is, “How do I get this done with AGIIS?”

My response is always to start with the basics, identify the low hanging fruit, and gradually keep building and improving the process. It could begin with establishing an entity industry identifier subset and receiving a scheduled extract to be consumed by their internal system. The next step might be establishing a product subset to receive the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) for the products they sell. Before they know it, they are integrating AGIIS APIs into their systems along with AgGateway industry standard messages to communicate electronically with their trading partners.

It is not too late to implement the New Year’s Resolution Substitute Theory. If we can help, or if you have any questions about being a member of AgGateway, getting more involved in the organization or the AGIIS Directory; please contact Member Services at Member.Services@AgGateway.org, or call (866) 251-8618.

And, have happy and productive New Year!