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EDITOR'S PAGE An Open Path What if you could trade in all those pesky goals for something even more effective? I stopped making long lists of New Year's resolutions a long time ago, for the obvious reason: By the time March rolled around, I'd not only reneged on all of them, but I'd forgotten what they were in the first place. Now when January arrives, I tell myself to try to settle on one general theme—being healthier, expanding my social circle, becoming more politically active, whatever—at a time. The same general strategy might prove effective for businesses. Is 2014 the year you zero in on your marketing efforts? Or is updating your facility foremost on your agenda? It isn't that we can't all walk and chew gum at the same time, but most psychologists agree that focusing on a primary objective tends to yield the best results. This is not the same as setting goals. In fact, one current theory actually debunks the entire idea of conventional goal setting. "When we set goals, we're taught to make them specific and measurable and time-bound," explained leadership consultant Peter Bregman in Harvard Business Review. "But it turns out that those characteristics are precisely the reason goals can backfire. A specific, measurable, time-bound goal drives behavior that's narrowly focused and often leads to either cheating or myopia." (See New Year's resolutions, paragraph one.) Bregman suggests that instead of tying yourself or your staff to a future revenue target or client referral rate, hone in on present-time steps and behaviors that are compatible with your focus. Expand your retailing offerings, for instance, or initiate a client loyalty program. Says Bregman, "A goal is a result; an area of focus is a path." Linda Kossoff This year, DAYSPA is charting a path designed to expand ours and our Executive Editor readers' views. We are living in a global economy, after all, and covering an industry whose roots can be found in every corner in the world. We believe that today's local day spa owner doesn't operate in a vacuum; he or she is part of a movement and a philosophy shared with beauty and wellness-oriented professionals everywhere. So this year, we're broadening our coverage to encompass the greater spa community. We've expanded our Your Wellness Spa section to bring you more about discoveries being made in the area of mind-body health. Our new column, Global Speak, provides a peek into the state of the spa industry, and spa business practices, in different parts of the world. (This month we turn our attention to China, see page 68.) To help you establish your path this year, we've included in this issue some inspiring advice from industry experts ("Shedding Light On 2014", page 36). And for those all-important present-time steps, take a look at our coverage of couples' services, just in time for Valentine's Day next month. It isn't easy to let go of that checklist of resolutions—"I never realized how goal-focused I was until I tried to stop focusing on goals," says Bregman—but think about it this way: Trading in those finite goals in favor of just one area of focus keeps your mind open and, therefore, your long-term possibilities endless. CORRECTION In our December 2013 feature on oxygen treatments "Clearing the Air", the attribution and contact information provided for Rona Solomon was incorrect. Solomon is founder and president of Intrafusions® at intrafusions.com, 888.317.3788. We apologize for the error. 12 DAYSPA | JANUARY 2014