best happy new year wishes 2019

the past few weeks the theme has been the New Year--this is the year we will be healthier, quit smoking, make and save more money, get that raise, and find Mr or Ms Right or get out of the relationship that doesn't work. TV, radio and the internet bombard us with products and services promising you will get it right this time.

The subliminal message is last year you have failed doing something. Too much emphasis is placed on "out with the old and in with the new". Yes, the past year was imperfect, and this year will be imperfect too. We learn from our mistakes, more importantly we learn from our successes. Look not only at our flaws, but our potential. Choose to make this a positive, empowering time.

If your goal was to lose 10# and you lost only 5# have you failed? Didn't you have some great experiences you wouldn't trade? Weren't those family dinners' experiences you wouldn't trade? You can make different choices in 07 without feeling those in 06 were disasters.

Anaïs Nin makes an unfortunate but typical quote. "I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me."

Consider resolving to put those kinds of quotes "out" and bring in the "new" with a positive New Year. Make this simply an empowering year and make one resolution you can live with. This year, resolve to start the New Year looking at your successes and NOT seeing only failure. Look at, replicate and celebrate the successes. Take your best success in 06, scrutinize what you did to create the success, the tactics and strategies - and do it again.

I learned this from a very wise manager. I had just closed a very large and enriching contract. My manager called me in to talk about "what is next". I talked about targets, prospects, SWOT's, the typical salesperson debriefing. He patiently listened and told me that wasn't the information he was looking for. He asked how I found that client, what made it happen-- and he simply told me to "go out and do it again".

When we focus on what we did wrong, we attract and repeat our mistakes. It is very easy to recall friends (yourself) who have made the comment "this always happens to me". We say that in failure, not in success. Make this the year you say, "This always happens to me" and be referring to your positive successes.

Its hard, as often only the failures are brought to our attention with great impact. It will take deliberate, conscious action to look at things this way, deliberate, conscious action to look at things this way; while not being complacent, and continuing to set aggressive goals. Aggressive goals mean you are sometimes going to strike out, expect short term failures. Accept that if you don't get out there and take some risk, you will already fail. The game is more often won with base hits than home runs.

Here are some ideas:

Resolve to...

Review and affirm why you are in business. What service do you provide and how your clients better for it.

Call your clients and thank them. During this phone call do not try to sell them something (don't close the door on an opportunity either) but call with no other motive than to say "thank you".

Strengthen existing relationships. Review your client list. Target existing clients for more business and plan how will you make it happen.

Contribute to your industry. Get involved in an industry related nonprofit or trade organization as a volunteer and make a difference.

Keep learning. Take a course, hire a coach, and continue to grow professionally.