What are your new year’s resolutions?  Actually, who cares?  New Year’s resolutions are a waste of time, and are fruitless.

How many times have you vowed to go to the gym everyday and get in shape, make more money, get out of a destructive relationship, or in a positive and loving one for that matter?  

New Year’s resolutions don’t work because they are hollow.  Sure people have the best of intentions, but they have no structured plan and no emotional drive behind their desires.  Worst of all they set themselves up to fail by setting ridiculous resolutions based on the pressure of the moment and fueled by alcohol.

The best approach would have been to already sit down and outlined exact results you want, why you want them, and a solid plan to go out and achieve.  If you haven’t done that make it an absolute must on your schedule and add the following 12 commitments for the New Year:

1. Get up 1 hour earlier every day, and read something positive or that will improve your life
   
2. Get some form of exercise every day, even if it’s just walk around the block and up and down the stairs at lunch time
   
3. Sign up for a one seminar or class per quarter to engage your profession deeper
   
4. Volunteer in your community a couple times throughout the year.  Your soul will thank you.
   
5. Find 5 customers you’ve ticked off and make peace – bring them referrals and business.
   
6. Commit to making 100 new contacts within the next 30 days or whatever number makes sense for your business
   
7. Cut out the junk food during the week and put the right fuel in the tank, so you have the reserves to achieve your dreams. It’ll also help with that whole “I’m going to lose 10 pounds” goal.
   
8. Have coffee or lunch every day with a different prospect.
   
9. Finally start using LinkedIn the way you know you should be.  It’s an unbelievable business resource and tool.
   
10. Post, read and visualize your goals at a minimum every week if not every day.
    
11. Practice technology etiquette – stop texting when talking, stop taking calls during meetings, stop surfing online when you’re talking on the phone.  Simply put, pay attention and give your undivided attention.  So few do.
    
12. And lastly, reward yourself for accomplishments.  Otherwise, what’s the point?
    

Resolutions are ridiculous, so don’t waste your time.  Commit to a real plan, and the 12 commitments listed here.  Your life will skyrocket. 

Many of the communications you receive this time of year are Holiday greetings filled with discounted offers to buy.

This is not.  Rather, it’s my wish for you – a wish of hope, love, thanks and gratitude.  There is so much wrong in the world, and yet there is so much more that is right, otherwise there would be nothing left.

I’m truly grateful to be connected to you, in a relationship with you – even though we may have never met in person, and grateful that we have the privilege to positively impact others through our personal and professional lives.  I’m so grateful that we have opportunities that most don’t, and hopeful that we can create similar opportunities for those less fortunate.

Thank you for the opportunity to grow our professional and personal lives together.  Thank you for spreading your message and positively impacting others.

I always reflect this time of year, and give thanks and gratitude for everything in my life.  I invite you to do the same.

• What and who are you truly grateful for?
• What opportunities and challenges are present that you’re grateful for?
• Who do you love, and who is truly special to you?
• How can you show your love, appreciation and gratitude to affect others?
• What can you give of yourself to help those less fortunate?
• Who sacrificed for you?

Answer these questions and you will understand the spirit of the season, and really set yourself up for success.  It’s about what you give, who you become, and what impact you create – not what you expect to get.  That’s where your real success is.

For those of you who celebrate, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  For those of you who don’t, Happy Holidays.

Standards, we all have them, and we all know they should govern every move in our lives.  But how many of us actually have a written plan for how we are going to live our lives each and every day no matter what?

Every successful person has a set of standards, obviously.  The massive difference though, is they typically have a written plan for how they’re going to live, act, play, work, and excel in life.  These standards are unshakable.  They also go the next level deeper.  

One way successful people raise their bar constantly is to look at their goals and determine who they MUST become to achieve those goals.  

You can’t become the #1 salesperson in your industry, or company for that matter, if your bar is set at a level that allows you to go home at 5 o’clock, watch tv and throw back a couple cocktails.  Or you certainly won’t be fit and healthy for that matter if you standards allow you to make excuses and skip a fitness routine and proper nutrition plan.

All top athletes, top business people, and peak performing sales people have a whole different set of rules they live by.  Their personal bar:

• Wakes them up to hit the literal and metaphorical gym an hour or two before everyone else to hone their minds, bodies and spirit.  
• Their bars don’t allow them listen to the polluted news when driving in their cars.  They’re listening to success-minded programs.  
• They don’t engage in water-cooler gossip.  Instead they’re finding ways to make a deal happen, improve their skills, or pummel the competition.  
• And they don’t go home when everyone else does.  They’re finding a way to add even more value to their clients and prospects lives and accomplish their goals.

To really succeed, I mean succeed beyond your wildest expectations you absolutely must raise your personal bar well beyond its present level.  The most effective way you can raise your standards is to follow this 4 step plan:

1. Review your current and “written” goals
2. Write down who you MUST become as a person to accomplish them.  Make sure to write the list or description in the “I am” voice.  I am strong, I am focused, I am energetic, I am healthy, I am professional, I practice my skills every day, etc.
3. Write down every behavior that supports your goals, how your days should be structured, and what you can no longer do that’s destructive towards your achievement.
4. 4. Read this list every morning, and review your day to measure your behaviors and activity every night to stay focused.
   

Raise your bar well beyond your current limitations and your world will change radically and lightening fast.

When you work with high achievers, it’s easy to spot similarities.  One similarity common to all high achievers is they obsess over what they really want.

I don’t mean they have an elevated interest.  They have an absolute, deep-in-their-core, all-consuming obsession.  It is there sole focus, where every resource they have, every thought, every free moment is dedicated to making it happen.

It doesn’t matter if it’s leading their team effectively, crushing a huge sales goal, or transforming their body.  Whatever it is, they devote all of themselves to it.  Napolean Hill said it best, “we become what we think about all the time.”

I see this in myself and my clients too.  Virtually everything in my life I’ve accomplished has come from first obsessing over it.  

What is it you want for the rest of the year?  What will you obsess over, and spend every spare moment working towards.  The more you obsess, the more actions you’ll take, the more plans you’ll execute, and the more success will come your way.  To give your obsession a tangible plan, follow these 8 steps:

1. Decide exactly what it is that you want to accomplish before the end of the year and write it down

2. Write out exactly why, your reasons – no one else’s.  Make them deeply personal to engage all of you

3. Write out every obstacle you can imagine would come up, no matter how large or small

4. Write a plan to mitigate each of them

5. Write down absolutely every action step you can think of that will move you closer to achieving your outcome

6. Schedule them

7. Read this plan every morning, every night, at lunch, at breaks, and at every free moment

8. Enjoy your obsession and the success soon to come

Decide what you really want for your business and life, and go for it.