If success were guaranteed, without any fear of failure, how would your plans for the coming year be different?  Consider this question in light of the following 12 suggestions, designed to make you think about things from a different perspective:

MAKE PLANS, TAKE ACTION: we all start the New Year full of good intentions; rarely do we end the year completely satisfied that we’ve achieved them all. Planning is useful but plans are useless unless you follow through; so remember to take action!

OPERATE FROM A PLACE OF EXCELLENCE: and do things that will empower you. By operating from a totally resourceful state, both physical and psychological, you will increase the likelihood of achieving consistently great results.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT: and don’t deviate. Stop yourself from dwelling on what isn’t working, or on any uncomfortable situation you find yourself in; and don’t worry about how you’re going to get out of it.  Rather, focus on getting clarity about what you want and you may find that the ‘how to’ takes care of itself.

LISTEN TO YOUR SUPPORTERS: and ignore the naysayers. The best-selling novelist, Wilbur Smith recalls being told that he had arrived too late and that no one would be reading books any more. He soldiered on regardless and has sold over 120 million books to date, providing him with a wonderful lifestyle. How people choose to read his books may have changed and that’s of no import to Wilbur who only cares that his work is read. What have you been talked out of doing recently? Do it anyway, what have you got to lose?

TOLERATE LESS, EXPECT MORE: I recently heard the comment that we always get more of what we tolerate and it prompted me to think about what sorts of things I might be putting up with and how I might change that situation for the better. Are you inspired to do the same? Developing an expectation of great results will ensure you get more of what you want. So what new action will you take today?

DEVELOP YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: how we show up on the job is a predictor of our leadership potential and tells the world how we are experiencing work right now. You’ve no doubt heard the expression ‘she wears her heart on her sleeve’, well consider that Emotional Intelligence is your heart and the work context is your sleeve. Strengthening your emotional, personal and interpersonal abilities and skills will enable you to handle volatile, unpredictable and complex situations easily.

IDENTIFY YOUR HIGH PAYOFF ACTIVITIES: Time is precious and we all lead busy lives. Identify those activities that will bring you the best return on your investment and devote a block of time to them each day.

SPEND, SPEND, SPEND: in your head that is! I’m sure we could all make use of more money if it was offered to us and having more than enough money brings peace of mind. Contemplate an amount of money you’d like to have readily at your disposal. Now imagine how many things you could buy with it, if you wanted to. Don’t focus on the money itself – in truth it’s only a vehicle for what you really want in life. (Suggestion #3 refers)

FIND THE FUN IN WHAT YOU DO: people rarely succeed in the long term unless they enjoy what they do. Challenge yourself to bring fun into your work, particularly those things that are routine. If you can’t make something fun, decide whether you want to do it or not.

USE AN ‘ALREADY DONE’ LIST: imagine how good it would be to start each working day with a blank sheet of paper to fill in as you think fit. Well, why not do just that and add tasks throughout the day as you complete them. I’ll bet you’ll be a whole lot more impressed by how much you’ve achieved at the end of the day.

TURN YOUR CUSTOMERS INTO THE 12^TH MAN: how the crowd is described at football matches when they roar their team onto winning performances. How much better would your business be if customers were consistently rooting for you and they became your biggest fans?

CELEBRATE THE WINS: take a few moments each day to celebrate the successes, however small.  Success breeds success so the more awareness you have of what is working well the better.

Henry Wheeler Shaw said “if you need to work before breakfast, eat breakfast first!” What limitations are you putting on the year ahead? Be honest – it’s only January! If you want to make an impact this year then take a different approach; get in touch by email info@robertsonfox.com or by phone 0161 866 8573 and we’ll help you see things differently.