Every January, we tell ourselves this is the year things will be different.

This is the year we will be more organized. More proactive. More strategic. This is the year communications will not be an afterthought, a last-minute scramble, or a reaction to someone else’s decision.

And yet, if you work in communications long enough, especially in public safety, government, or crisis-driven environments, you learn a hard truth.

Good intentions do not survive chaos.

So instead of lofty resolutions that sound nice and disappear by February, here is a more honest list. These are resolutions for communicators who have been in the room when things went sideways. For people who have rewritten statements at midnight. For those who have learned, sometimes the hard way, what actually matters.

Resolution 1: We will stop calling everything “urgent.”

If everything is urgent, nothing is.

When every email is flagged, every text is marked immediate, and every request needs action right now, urgency loses its meaning. Worse, it trains people to tune out the very messages that truly matter.

This year, resolve to be intentional with urgency. Save it for moments that require action, attention, or protection of trust. Everything else can wait a beat.

Urgency is a tool. Use it sparingly.

Resolution 2: We will read messages before hitting send.

This sounds obvious. It is not.

Communicators live on phones, laptops, and half-written drafts. Messages are sent between meetings, during incidents, and sometimes while emotions are still high. That is how clarity gets lost and tone gets misread.

A short pause can prevent long cleanups.

This year, read the message as the audience would. Look for what is missing, what could be misunderstood, and what might live forever in a screenshot.

Resolution 3: We will stop confusing activity with strategy.

Posting is not planning. Sending is not communicating.

It is easy to stay busy in communications. Social posts go out. Emails get sent. News releases are published. But none of that guarantees impact.

Strategy starts with purpose. What do we want the audience to know, feel, or do as a result of this message?

If that question cannot be answered, the message probably does not need to go out yet.

Resolution 4: We will say less and mean more.

Long messages do not equal smart messages.

In moments of stress, organizations tend to overexplain. They add paragraphs instead of clarity. They bury the lead and hope the audience finds it.

This year, resolve to respect attention spans.

Lead with what matters most. Use plain language. Trust that confidence sounds like brevity, not volume.

Resolution 5: We will stop hiding behind jargon.

If your audience needs a glossary, the message has already failed.

Acronyms, technical terms, and insider language might feel efficient internally, but they create distance externally. The goal of communication is not to sound impressive. It is to be understood.

Plain language builds trust. It signals respect. It keeps people with you instead of pushing them away.

Resolution 6: We will plan communications before the crisis.

Adrenaline is not a communications plan.

Too many organizations wait until an incident is unfolding to think about messaging, approvals, and process. That is when mistakes happen and credibility erodes.

This year, commit to preparation. Draft holding statements. Build templates. Clarify roles. Decide now who speaks, who approves, and how information flows.

Preparation does not eliminate chaos. It makes it survivable.

Resolution 7: We will listen more than we broadcast.

Silence is not failure. Sometimes it is intelligence gathering.

Good communicators pay attention before they speak. They monitor concerns, questions, and misinformation. They listen for what the audience is actually worried about, not just what leadership wants to say.

This year, treat listening as a core communications function, not an optional one.

Resolution 8: We will be honest when we do not know yet.

“We do not have that information yet” is not a weakness.

Speculation damages trust faster than delay. Audiences can accept uncertainty when it is communicated clearly and respectfully. What they struggle with is inconsistency and backtracking.

Resolve to be transparent about what is known, what is not, and when updates will come. Credibility is built one honest moment at a time.

Resolution 9: We will use the right words, because words matter.

They always have. They always will.

Calling something a press release when it is a news release may seem minor, but precision reflects professionalism. Language signals intent, audience, and values.

This year, resolve to be deliberate with terminology. Choose words that reflect accuracy, respect, and clarity. The details people dismiss are often the ones that build trust quietly over time.

Resolution 10: We will protect clarity, even when pressure pushes against it.

Pressure is part of the job. So is restraint.

There will always be someone asking for more detail, more spin, or faster messaging. The communicator’s role is not to amplify noise. It is to provide clarity.

This year, resolve to advocate for the audience, even when it is uncomfortable.

A Final Thought

The best communicators are not perfect. They are intentional.

They learn from experience. They adapt. They build habits that hold up when stress hits and expectations collide.

New Year’s resolutions do not have to be dramatic to be effective. Sometimes the most powerful changes are the quiet ones. The pause before sending. The sentence that gets cut. The word that gets corrected.

Here is to a year of clearer messages, calmer responses, and communications that do what they are supposed to do.

Build trust.