By James Hayden It is January 2nd and the word "resolution" is swirling around in my mind. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines resolution as, "a firm decision to do or not do something." I was reading an article the other day that said that the two most common New Year's resolutions are to lose weight and to get organized. Now I confess that I certainly could stand to shed a few pounds, and my organizational skills do require some fine tuning, but I began to think about other areas of my life where I need to make "a firm decision to do or not do something." That is where my career in property management comes to mind. In 2008, I am making a firm decision to take the time and make the effort to educate myself beyond what my job requires of me. I have already registered for the Greater New York Chapter's First Annual Asset Management Symposium on February 19th at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. As I read over the list of speakers and topics, I knew this was an event that I would be foolish to miss. We are fortunate to have speakers from some of the most prestigious firms in the area-John Klein, JDM Associates, "Sustainable Real Estate Management;" Michael Shenot, managing director, Jones Lang LaSalle New York Operations, "Dynamic Development Projects & Their Impact on New York City;" Alan Rappaport, senior director, DeWitt Stern Group, Inc., "What is the real cost of not buying the right insurance?;" and George Fallon, partner, Clifton & Gunderson LLP and John Dodge, managing director, Anchin, Block & Anchin, LLP, "SAS 70: Report on Controls Placed in Operation and Tests of Operating Effectiveness & SOX:What Does it Mean to You?" So, my New Year's resolution is to "step out of the box" and learn something different. I'll be starting by attending the Asset Management Symposium. I hope to see you there. James Hayden, CPM, is the 2008 president of IREM, New York, N.Y.