You CAN Achieve Those New Year's Resolutions!

We're at that time of year when most of us are taking stock of where we're at in life and looking to make some changes... in our health, fitness, family, career, business... We dream of being organized... of getting through those to-do lists... of managing a smoothly run business instead of fighting fires. But how do we channel that New Year's Desire so that it brings about the change we're looking for instead of evaporating by Valentines Day and leaving a twinge of guilt as we slide back into our familiar habits? I offer you these suggestions for increasing your success at achieving those resolutions.

Only make goals that are important to you and make sense.

In order to double sales, there will typically be business investments required...

It's easy to make resolutions to address areas of life we feel we ought to improve... for instance: get in shape, eat better or get organized. But if these are "should goals" instead of "want-to goals", our motivation to stick it out past the end of January is unlikely. Sometimes a goal is incompatible with another goal. An example of this would be: the goal to double profits along with the goal to double sales. In order to double sales, there will typically be business investments required, which will eat into the profits. First, work to double sales by developing effective marketing and sales strategies and expertise. Then your profits can be maximized by Process improvements and improving customer satisfaction. We work with our clients to determine the right goals and the corresponding action plan that make sense for their business.

Limit your number of goals.

If your goals involve a significant time commitment or require building new habits, be realistic. It takes practice and perseverance to change your habits and behaviors. If you're working on 5 new goals, you're probably setting yourself up for failure. It may not be realistic to train for a marathon, launch a new inventory system in your business, read one mind-stretching book per week, attend every one of your kid's soccer events, start a non-profit foundation to end the biggest problem facing humanity all at the same time. For "stretching" goals, work on 1-2 goals at a time. Make improvements and build habits in those few areas - once you're making good progress there, THEN add another goal to your list.

Maximize your chance of success by building your team.

Consider who you need supporting you to accomplish your goals. Talk to friends who share your goals or are rooting for you to achieve your aspirations. Get a coach who is committed to helping you develop those new habits and can help you overcome the obstacles that stand in your way. Anyone who's trained for a race or kicked a bad habit knows that having encouragement and accountability along the way is invaluable. Coming up with the plan is just the beginning. It's implementing the plan where things fall by the wayside. Having the accountability and help to keep you on track will insure you've got the best chance of realizing your dream.

Go for PARR (Plan, Act, Review, Revise).

It's essential to make your goal and break that down into an action plan.

It's essential to make your goal and break that down into an action plan. But what happens when obstacles arise, or you're ambushed by new circumstances? What if your goals no longer make sense in your current situation? Work to develop solutions to overcome the obstacles - your coach, mentors, and advisors can be helpful here. Sometimes new circumstances will require revising your initial goal. Resist the temptation to toss your plan and shoot from the hip. Revise the goal, revise the action plan and keep going!

So that concludes my top tips for harnessing that New Year's Resolution energy. Pick your goals carefully, stack the deck in your favor with experts and support on your side, and keep working from the plan (which may mean revising the plan) I hope these tips give you some good ammunition for beating the odds and achieving all of your New Year's aspirations.

If you're wondering whether coaching for you or your leadership team can help you achieve your goals - give us a call (425-485-4250). We'd be happy to provide a complimentary consultation and discuss solutions to your critical business needs. We're experts at leading executives and leadership teams through change and into action. We'd love to talk with you about improving your business results and work/life balance in 2008.

If you know of other businesses that are looking to drive improvement and want to be the best... good business that want to be great... tell them about Steller Solutions. They'll thank you!

Happy Resolutions!

Julia Robinson
Steller Solutions

Reprinted from the January 2008 "Steller Ezine", an electronic newsletter of Steller Solutions that is full of FREE tips and resources for your business. Subscribe at www.Steller-Solutions.com