Are we simply conditioned by our culture to make and, yes, even break NYRs?  Too often they slip, don’t they?

However, you’ve made your NYR, so… Oh… you made a number of NYRs this year!

You’ve probably dropped out on a couple of them already – and it’s only day 7!

OK, enough with the challenge – let’s win the game of NYR.

Successful players focus only on the most important realistic resolution that can be planned supported and achieved.

They line up all the ‘cards’ to ensure they have a royal flush!

Their success motivates them to repeat the process.

Success building on success.

So, firstly choose your most important realistic resolution – write it down.

Now list the cards – the various ways you are going to ensure you achieve your winning hand.

Remember, successful players ensure they have all the right cards – a fully integrated plan with a range of support mechanisms (‘cards’), not just one, such as: -

• hiring a coach to help you plan and work on it
• writing about it every morning, midday and evening in your journal
• creating a vision board as a desk top background
• enlisting the help of a trusted friend to keep you accountable
• celebrating small victories (time spent on track) – in a way that won’t lead you off your path
• reminding yourself every hour why the resolution is so important to you
• having a recovery plan that starts the moment you drop off track, as you might sometimes
• planning a powerful reinforcing reward on your success

If your NYR is overcoming an addiction you must enlist specialised help, otherwise you aren’t serious.

If your NYR is about changing an undesirable (non-addiction based) habit, ensure you have a worthy habit to replace it with, otherwise you’ll be pushing something soft and smelly uphill with a piece of string.

Regardless of what your NYR is, you must have a fully integrated realistic plan and enlist the right helper/s who will coach support and remind you and keep you accountable.

If you are not prepared to do that, then your NYR probably isn’t that important.   You’d be better off making another choice – one that you really desire and will properly prepare to ensure winning.

Start again right now, make a comment and keep us informed of your progress and share how you achieved your royal flush.

To your success.

David Deane-Spread

Here’s how it looks for me for 2010: 1/3/4/20/50/90/500

Here’s how it works – each number is symbolic and represents something powerful for you. Its purpose is to be your memory jogger of what’s important to you as you go through the year.

One issue for many people with goals and resolutions is actually remembering them as the year goes on. We get caught up in day to day stuff and simply do not give our well intended goals any attention or focus so no wonder we can’t achieve them.

Another issue is we don’t break our goals down into bite size chunks. There is no use getting all the way to the end of the year and saying “Hmm, didn’t do so well there!”

By breaking everything down into bite size chunks we can track our progress. This way we can re-evaluate how we’re going and whether we need to change our activities to get where we want to be.

It’s also important to include both your personal and business goals. We can often make our goals all around what we want to achieve in business, guilty as charged, and forget the personal stuff. So balance that up. It could be your annual leave, physical fitness or time out through the year.

So what’s my “Ready Reckoner” mean? Well, it’s personal but I will tell you this.

The 1 represents 1 Vulcan 2000 cruiser motorbike, because I deserve it, I work hard (Plus I turn 50 in April).

So go to work and short list what’s important for you and give it a number.

Build the business on a real opportunity

Create and maintain a competitive advantage – do it better – be unique.

Remember: Competitive advantage is temporary – constantly search for new opportunities – welcome change – if you are not different in 5 years you probably won’t be there at all.

Don’t try and be the biggest – be the best.

Seek and use professional advice – it is an investment, not a cost.

Manage all your resources: People – Cash – Time and Information.

Know the risk you take by being in business. Remember: If the business fails it will be you who wears the financial and personal consequences.

Build on your strengths. Do one or several things very well – you cannot do everything.

Continually update knowledge, skills and information.

Hire the right people for the job and then lead, motivate and reward them adequately.

Regard cashflow as the lifeblood of the business. Remember: You can run out of cash long before you are no longer profitable.

Maintain liquidity by effectively using budgets, controlling credit sales, maintaining effective stock levels, running on lean overheads and maintaining profitable margins.

To do this effectively you must keep good records.

Learn form past mistakes – and do not repeat them.

Watch for signs of personal stress - decide on the cause and fix it.

Keep a proper balance in all you do, your family and health are important.

Be decisive and assertive – decide on the best course of action and do it!

Above All – Believe In Yourself and Your Business Idea. Be Totally Committed To Succeeding – Or Don’t Even Start!

Whoops, I think I took the wrong road. I turn left, right?

Where is your road map to your destiny in life taking you?

Take some time to seriously identify what really matters most in your life and what you really want to be and do. To really begin your journey with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.

Find your passion. What do you care about most? Allow your passion to take more priority in life.

Follow the big picture of your life. Allocate your time more efficiently and don’t waste time on things that aren’t important to the big picture.

Spell out to yourself a dream version of your passion. How does it feel? What does it look like? Where would it take you?

Get a move on. Don’t wait until a better time to move toward what you want. There is no better time. The time is now.

Stay open to changes. Just because things aren’t going exactly to plan doesn’t mean they are not in alignment. Trust the process.

Focus on the big picture or Vision for your life and continually check in with yourself and ask “Is what I am doing right now taking me closer to my life’s vision / goal?” If the answer is “No’ then do something else.

Good luck.

It is more important than appearances, giftedness and skill. The remarkable thing is that we have the choice to create the attitude we have for that day.

We cannot change the past. We cannot change the way people act. We cannot change the inevitable. The one thing we can change is the only thing we have control over and that is our attitude.

I’m convinced that life is 10% what actually happens to us and 90% how we react to it.

Charles Swindall