WHAT'S IN THE SAUCE?

Have you ever wondered why the successful are they way they are?  Have you ever seen someone and thought, "well, if they can do it, so can I!"  But only to let that dream fade away?

I heard, long ago, a quote that said, "The successful are successful because they are willing to do what the unsuccessful are unwilling to do!"

Does your New Year's Resolution list look exactly the same, year after year, with only the year being different?  I want to let you in on a little secret.....here are 5 Characteristics of people who get what they want:

1.  BELIEVE you can!  Do you...really?  There seems to be a shortage of confidence these days.  If you need some, go get some.  It's as close as making a decision that YOU CAN!

2.  Get past your past!  Luke 9:62 says, "Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." The point here is keep your eyes fixed in front of you.  Yah, maybe things in past have been not so good or maybe things in the past have been great.  Either way, let them stay there and use then only as learning tools to move forward.

3.  Set the right kind of goals for yourself.  I plan on doing a whole blog just on Goal Planning later this year, but for now, when talking about the RIGHT KINDS OF GOALS FOR YOU, put them through a little test or certification.  A guy I know has developed a process he puts his goals through called, SMAC Certification:
S - SPECIFIC; are your goals very specific?  It's vague to say, "I want to lose weight."  Specific would say, "I will lose 10 lbs. by March 15th."  Be Specific!
M - MEASURABLE; They say what gets measured gets done.  Do your goals have an element to them that you can track and measure?  If not, change it up.
A - ATTAINABLE; This just means you have a 50/50 chance of hitting your goal. Don't set the bar so low you can step over it and don't set it too high you will never have a shot at reaching it.  I like to say, live the life of a rubberband:  a rubberband is NOT at it's greatest potential until it's been stretched!
C - COMPATIBLE to your vision; Do the goals you want to accomplish line up with your values? Roy Disney once said, "When your values are clear, decisions become easier."  If you goals and the action items you need to do to reach those goals go against your values, then question your goals.

4.  Connect with your WHY.  What motivates you?  You will lose your way when you lose your WHY.  Be connected with what is at stake.

5.  START!  An old Chinese proverb says it this way: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is today."  A year from now you'll be glad you started today!

So, really there is no SECRET SAUCE, just 5 simple things that you have a choice of either doing them or not.  So, choose wisely today and make this your BEST YEAR YET!