I'm one of those rare people who writes New Year's Resolutions every single year and actually accomplishes at least a few of them. I know so many folks who poo-poo resolutions and insist they don't work.
Well, as Henry Ford famously said:
In other words, if you don't believe resolutions work...they won't!
What Resolutions Are NOT
Resolutions are not a magic wand. You will not be richer, thinner, and happier simply for writing that intention on a piece of paper. They are not your get-out-of-jail-free card.
But what they are—or can be, if you let them—is power and magic.
Understanding the Energy Behind the Intention
Everything is energy, and that includes our words. When we say pessimistic or mean things, we're allowing in negative energy. When we say positive or encouraging things, we're creating and attracting positive energy.
Resolutions are positive energy. By saying that you want to increase revenues by 25% next year, you are setting an intention at a high vibration. That vibration will find a match with the reality of that wish (increasing revenues), and your wish will be granted!
If this sounds familiar, it should. It's all based on the Law of Attraction, made famous by the book and movie The Secret.
Like attracts like. Positive intentions attract positive results.
How to Make Resolutions Come True
Okay, I'll back away from my woo rant a bit to explain why you should set resolutions and how to make them a reality.
In your business, it's easy to get mired in the day-to-day. Michael Gerber calls this working IN your business rather than ON it in The E-Myth. Sometimes we don't look up to see what's ahead. With resolutions (which, in reality, you can make any time, not just in January), you are assessing your business and determining what you want next for it.
Is that more money? A different type of client? Influential contacts in your industry? A new level of professional knowledge?
Whatever the thing you set your sights on is your intention and it will propel you forward to that next level of growth.
But here's the thing so many people miss: it's not enough to just write down those intentions. You need a plan for how you'll accomplish them.
Let's say you want to grow revenues by 25% next year. How will you do that? Maybe some steps include:
Raising your rates for new clients by 15%
Launching a new automated course
Hiring a salesperson to reach a wider audience
Investing in marketing
Once you have identified those steps, set timelines for each.
Raising your rates for new clients by 15% (January 1)
Launching a new automated course (March 15)
Hiring a salesperson to reach a wider audience (June 1)
Investing in marketing (Q1)
Now it's up to you to stick to those deadlines and manage those tasks. If you do, you greatly increase the likelihood that your intention will come true. Remember to review those resolutions throughout the year so you don't forget them. I tape mine to my wall so I can see them.
So what are you setting for your intentions this year?
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