Don't Put It Off Until Next Year

Christmas decorations are already in the stores. The northern hemisphere is growing colder and leaves are changing. There is a tendency to start thinking about hibernation and planning for what you want to accomplish in the upcoming year-even when it is just October.

But, why wait until January to start your goals or resolutions? Start now. Don't wait until you are older, richer, better looking or can't get up off of the couch due to those extra pounds. Thomas Dreier said, "The best preparation for a better life next year is a full, complete, harmonious, joyous life this year." Begin where you stand, with the resources that you have and get to it. Otherwise, you will wake up and find that another year has past and you haven't accomplished what is most important to you.

What Can You Cut Out?

With an already busy schedule, it is often difficult to include the New Year's Resolutions that we want to add to our lineups. Adding just one more thing to an already busy schedule can add stress and frustration. So, as you consider what you want to add to next year's performance you should also consider what you want to remove.

Think about this quote by Jack Welch: If someone tells me, 'I'm working ninety hours a week,' I say, 'You're doing something terribly wrong. I go skiing on the weekend. I go out on Friday. Make a list of twenty things that make you work ninety hours, and ten of them have to be nonsense.'

Try Jack Welch's recommendation. Make a list of twenty things that make you work long hours. What ten things can you move out of your lineup? How about in your personal life? What activities need to be removed? It's like getting new clothes for Christmas when you already have a crowded closet. It is time to throw the stuff out that you don’t wear or that is out of style to make room for the new clothes.

Now is a good time to make room for your New Year’s Resolutions.

Dropped Them Yet?

At the beginning of the year, it can be very overwhelming to look at our "circus" and think of all the areas where we want to improve our lineup. It can even get depressing for some. New Year's resolutions and our goals for the upcoming year can seem daunting and with almost one month gone in 2008 we forget about them so that we don’t have to face that we are falling short so quickly.

I take strength from the thought, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Break down your goals into bite size pieces. Spread your goals throughout the year and also be realistic as you make resolutions. Like we say in the book, "What's the best time to bring this new act into the lineup?" Focus on one per week or one per month. One-Two well executed improvements (see blog from Tuesday) are better than 4-5 sloppily attempted that are ultimate failures.

Lastly, look at what acts can be removed from your circus as you look to add new ones. Nothing weighs more heavily on a performer than a line up that is too crowded... that loud crash is an elephant that just fell on someone-don't let it be you!