Today is the first day of the rest of the year. I hope 2006 is your best year ever in both personal and business terms. While some events are beyond our control, others are clearly within our ability to create the desired outcomes, or at least come close. Here are three steps to help you have your best year ever.

Step One – Define your goals. For some it will be increased sales volume, profit, or enhanced staff training, others will want to expand their facilities and / or geographic reach, still others have customer retention or new customer acquisition goals. The key issue is to know what outcomes are desired. Take some time and list your goals for your best year ever. Don’t just think of them while in the shower (I can’t tell you how may people do their best thinking while the water runs but it is difficult to keep your notepaper from getting soggy). Set aside a little time today and list them - on paper.

Step Two – Determine how to achieve those outcomes, the action steps that will be necessary. Some may take months of planning, have many steps utilizing the efforts and talents of a number of people along with periodic oversight. Plot the steps on a calendar to insure keeping everything on schedule. Establish who will be responsible for each task, when it will be done, the time and money budget for each task.

Step Three – Monitor and update the plan. Using that calendar, determine how often and when it will be reviewed. Few projects go as smoothly as planned so mid-course corrections will be necessary. Plan the review process in the beginning so the projects stay on track.

Follow those three steps for each action necessary to achieve the results you intend. It may not work out exactly as you plan, but this process sure works better than just hoping for success.

Start the year off intentionally and you are on the way to a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. I hope you have your best year ever… by intention!

Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the long-running (every Sunday since November 2001) business column, "Front Lines with Larry Galler" Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.larrygaller.com. Questions??? Send an email to larry@larrygaller.com

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