New Beginnings

Welcome to 2013! We made it—we successfully beat the economic doom and gloom, lived through a hard-fought presidential race, a potential Mayan Apocalypse, a myriad of natural disasters, fiscal cliffs and debt ceilings, etc. Now we have the chance to make a fresh start.

So, have you made your New Year’s resolution(s)? I am sure many have made some great professional resolutions to increase sales, get organized, go out and network. And don’t forget the old classics: quit smoking, lose weight, increase health and fitness and spend more time with family.

While it’s great to have made the resolution, will you make it happen? A statistical report in the University of Scranton’s Journal of Clinical Psychology showed 45 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, but only 8 percent achieve them. Should we then just throw all of those goals and dreams out the window? Absolutely not!

I have gathered a few easy steps you can take to help you stay on track. First and foremost, make it achievable. Don’t set so many goals or such a bar that it is impossible to reach. It should be a challenge, but also realistic. Try involving a friend. When you have someone else working to achieve similar success, you can drive each other forward. Whether it’s a spouse, a friend or a coworker, having someone in the trenches with you will make it easier. Make it measurable. If your goal is to increase business/sales, resolve to call a certain number of contacts each day. Reward yourself for incremental achievements. Making it fun and feeling good about what you do throughout the process (rather than at the end) will provide motivation as you strive to reach the brass ring.

Wishing all of you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!