2026 New Years resolutions for the turf workplace

It’s New Year’s resolution season. Have you made yours yet?

Every year some 40 percent of U.S. adults resolve to exercise more, eat less, save more and drink less. Within a week, 25 percent of resolution makers have ditched their good intentions and have returned to their old habits.

We get it — resolutions are easy to make and even easier to cast aside.

The human behavior (and resolution) experts say the secret to keeping your vows is to have a plan — one that’s specific and realistic, has built-in accountability and provides for some backsliding, because we know there will be backsliding. With those guidelines in mind, let’s get out our legal pads and Sharpies and write these five promises to ourselves in bold letters:

I RESOLVE TO … revise, update and maintain my agronomic plan. No matter how new to the job or how experienced you are, stating your goals and objectives is essential to staying on track throughout the year. As the saying goes, without a plan, any path will get you where you’re going. What’s more, when your plan is conscientiously prepared and presented, it’s not only the most effective way to build support among your team and management, but also a reliable way to hold yourself accountable.

I RESOLVE TO … train, support and reward my team. In a shifting economy, where wage growth and inflationary pressures are on a collision course, keeping your team motivated and committed is at the top of every leader’s job description. The job requires ongoing communication, training and purposeful planning to be effective. It’s not necessary for you to be best buddies with your crew members — in fact, that’s usually not a good idea. What’s more important is that they know that you care for them, respect them and want to help them be more successful. Continuous training makes your job more gratifying, and it enables your team to perform at a steadily higher level, always improving.

I RESOLVE TO … take better advantage of technology. Advancement in the technological capabilities and advantages available to golf course superintendents continues to accelerate. Points of focus for 2026 should be operational efficiency, cost management and improved capabilities. Take advantage of the educational opportunities at the 2026 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show to seek out areas that can improve operational efficiencies at your course. 

I RESOLVE TO … build trust with my team and my managers. Be mindful of the importance of trust. In 2026 — a midterm election year — we will hear plenty of promises, claims and counter claims that cause us to question motivations and intentions. Don’t be a politician — be a professional. Tell people what you intend to do, how you intend to do it and when it will be done. And then make every effort to overdeliver. It’s a simple path to trustworthiness.

I RESOLVE TO … be a respectful steward of our environment. If everyone were as capable and dedicated to environmental stewardship as golf course superintendents, we would live in a cleaner, healthier, more sustainable world. Sustainability and stewardship are categories where you shine.

Opportunities to become more capable stewards include:

• Field days. Conduct field days to introduce yourself and your team to your golfers, club members and other stakeholders. Tell them about the programs and initiatives you have built into your maintenance practices at your course — their course — to be a conscientious steward of the land and community.
• Support for Scouts. As the saying goes, “One never stands taller than when stooping to help a child.” Invite local Scout troops and scouting leaders to visit your golf course. Show them how you can support their focus on learning more about the environment while earning stewardship badges.
• Family days. Schedule special days for your team to bring their families to see where mom and dad work. You’ll see joy in the faces of your crew members’ children when they get to sit on the mowers. They’ll also appreciate learning how the place where their parents go every day is maintaining habitat for wildlife and butterflies.

Historians have documented resolution making as far back as the Babylonians some 4,000 years ago. There don’t seem to be records of how many of their resolutions were kept. Will you keep yours? These are five that are certainly worth the effort.