10 Steps for Success in 2010

Well, it's that time of year again. It comes like clockwork every 365th day. That one day that makes us reflect on everything that's happened over the last 365 days, then convinces us to make changes in the next 365.

Yes, it's time for a new year. And with 2010 comes a brand new decade. A chance to once again start anew, make resolutions, and convince ourselves that "THIS is MY year!"

Sadly, the resolutions people make are usually long forgotten by the end of February. We come up with excuse after excuse after excuse why we can't accomplish what we originally set out to do. Thoughts and words remain thoughts and words and cease to become actions that lead to the improvements we seek.

Regardless of where you are in terms of accomplishing what you want from life, I've laid out some simple steps and philosophies you can follow to TRULY make 2010 your year. But like everything else, you'll get out of this year what you put into it.

1. Re-adjust the Way You Think - For years, you've been instructed to think a certain way, act a certain way, and live a certain way. But it's this blatant line of pre-programmed thinking that's gotten us where we are today as the human race: in debt, full of negativity, unwilling to change, slaves to our comfort zones, hating our lot in life but accepting it as reality.

If you're looking for a new answer in your life, ask a different question! Use 2010 to reshape, recreate, redefine, and rewrite everything you've come to know as "your life." Subscribe to this blog and stay tuned for more on this in 2010.

2. Embrace, and Master, Change - You needn't look further than the way we read a book these days to realize that change is an inevitable part of life. My wife and I were watching a news report about the new Amazon Kindle e-reader and she told me about a college professor she had who said we'd one day be reading books in electronic, non-paper form. She and everyone in the class thought he was crazy.

But technology has reached that point and will continue to go further beyond.

The ways we communicate, the way money is made, and the way business is done will continue to evolve as we move ahead. Will you evolve with it? A new year is the perfect opportunity to embrace change.

3. Establish Goals and Develop a Time-Frame for Achieving Them (aka Practice Self-Accountability) - The biggest problem with New Years Resolutions are we normally only have to answer to ourselves if they're not accomplished. And it's pretty easy to look the voice in our head straight in the eye and say "Shut up, my favorite episode of 'The Office' is on!"

Today, as in this very second, is the perfect time to start holding yourself accountable for the things you want out of life. If you have a goal in mind, put it down on paper and assign it a time-frame in which you can realistically reach it. Don't set yourself up for failure by saying you'd like to consistently make $50,000/month from your home business by next week. Unless you've already invested a great deal of time and effort into your business, reaching that financial benchmark in a week's time is downright impossible.

Give yourself something that's attainable to work towards and it will make all of your efforts more worthwhile.

4. Read 10 Page of an Educational Book From Your Niche Per Day - This is an easy one, and if you're reading this article, there's no way you can tell me there isn't enough time in the day to accomplish this step. The lifeblood of an entrepreneur is his or her ability to expand their knowledge, thus reading books that focus on your niche and strengthen your strongest muscle (your brain, Einstein!) will enhance your value to your teammates, customers, clients, community, etc.

5. Find a Positive in Every Situation - I recently wrote a blog post that touched on my favorite lesson from 2009. It involves evaluating every situation, even negative ones, and finding a positive.

You can read the full article here.

Every situation you face offers positives if you dig deep and find them. When you're faced with something negative, simply ask "What's great about this?" or "What can I learn from this?" Your mind will immediately begin to work in a way it never has. This ties back to Step #1 and will ultimately make 100% of your experiences positive in some way.

6. Find a Mentor - The abundant use and growing popularity of social media makes this step simple to carry out. Twitter is overflowing with leaders in your particular niche who provide value all day long. They may also have fan pages on Facebook or YouTube channels. There's so many ways to find someone who can make you better at what you do.

It's nearly impossible to reach the pinnacle of your goals by yourself. Finding someone who's gone through the trials and tribulations of the success you want will help you get to where you want to be in a smarter, faster, and more efficient way.

7. Work On Yourself Daily - The late, great Jim Rohn said it's more important to work on yourself than your business. Wise words indeed. As an extension of your business, it's imperative to develop the mindset and skill set that will lead to better results for you and everyone associated with you. Take the time to read a great book, watch an inspirational video, discuss your goals with your mentor and/or other leaders, exercise, and keep yourself active. This will help stimulate your mind while increasing your focus and stamina.

8. CHALLENGE YOURSELF! - "If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done." This famous quote sums up #8 nicely. You have to be willing to go outside of your comfort zone in order to achieve new heights of success. This involves shattering the limitations that have kept you in a comfortable little safe zone for all this time. If you want big things, DO BIG THINGS! Big results will come from big actions.

9. Develop Good Habits and STICK TO THEM - Habits are not easy to break, but they can be replaced by better ones. It all comes down to your mindset. What are you willing to do to replace bad habits with good ones? The key here is consistency. The more consistently you carry out any action, the more of a trend it becomes in your life. Determine what it is you want to accomplish, the best course of action for accomplishing it, and the tasks it will take to make it happen. Start doing these tasks consistently and you'll start to see your efforts pay off.

10. Stop Talking About It...TAKE ACTION! - "Screw it...JUST DO IT!" --- Richard Bronson

This is a great quote that speaks to the absolute importance of taking action and making things happen. In the face of doubt, fear, and uncertainty, the best action is action itself. Inaction leads to complacency, more fear, more doubt, and more uncertainty. You'll never know what you can truly accomplish until you actually try. Thoughts are just thoughts. Words are just words. But actions are what define, or redefine, everything you're capable of.

Make 2010 the best year ever.


Be the Best,

Jason Cercone
Marketing Success Coach
jason.cercone@gmail.com
412-965-8428

How Are You Planning On Making 2010 Great? Please Leave Your Plans, Thoughts, Insights and Comments Below.