the editor talks with you

mailto:JerryBellune@yahoo.com Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Me neither. Resolutions may work for 15 days but rarely even 15 weeks.

I used to make a short list including to lose weight, get more exercise and eat more veggies, less fat and fewer sweets.

I‘d feel good maybe an hour and then forget about it for the rest of the year.

I didn’t think of it that way but making resolutions was a waste of time. Even worse, it was self-delusional. I was kidding myself I would really do something.

The problem? My resolutions were too general. How many pounds was I prepared to lose? How long would I keep it off?

If a resolution is not specific, how could I measure whether I achieved it?

I got smart and made specific goals. For example, I was badly over-weight. Too much BBQ and beer. Too little exercise.

None of this was good for my heart, the rest of my body or my self-esteem.

I was determined to lose 40 pounds – from 220 to 180 pounds. And I came up with a plan. It included an early workout 5 mornings a week, eating a healthy breakfast to get my metabolism started, eating less at lunch and in the evening when I would be less active to burn calories.

It worked. Now I want to get to 160 pounds which is what I weighed when I was discharged from the US Army.

It won’t be easy to lose 20 more pounds but I will do it because I have learned what works and can continue to do it. I just had to get past Thanksgiving and Christmas without overdoing it at the groaning board.

In his book, “Thinking Smarter,” behavior expert Shlomo Benartzi makes a wise suggestion I recommend you try:

1. List 10 goals important to you, your family, business and/or community.

2. Go through the list and pick the most important. Make it your No. 1 goal.

3. Identify the one that may be least important and make it No. 10.

4. Rank your other 8 goals in order of importance to you. This gives you a plan with priorities. You know where to get started.

Next, on a separate sheet, write your top priority, why it is important to you and how you will feel when you achieve it.

Finally list the steps you need to take to achieve your goal, list who you may need to help with each step and set a deadline when you will complete each step.

Yes, this takes work but it’s worth it.

A dozen years ago, I had been struggling for 4 years to write a book abut how to succeed in sales. Each chapter told a story based on my experience and that of sales people who have worked with us.

Our friend Ann Elliott shared a goal planning sheet that listed the step-by-step process outlined above. Using it, I finished the book in a few more weeks.

That was 14 books ago. I have used her process for each of them. One book we have just published is “Maverick Entrepreneurs’ Million Dollar Strategies.” It was more difficult because 10 other co-authors were involved. But it is finally out.

The co-authors are highly successful people who share the strategies that resulted in their success. I recommend it to you to make a difference in your business and your life in the coming year.

Special for 2019

If you want to achieve the success maverick entrepreneurs enjoy, order a personally autographed copy of “Maverick Entrepreneurs’ Million Dollar Strategies” to inspire yourself and your colleagues.

It’s only $20 and its ideas are worth millions of dollars. Call Katie and Jewel with your credit card at 803-359-7633.