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A new year has dawned and, as of tomorrow, the holiday season will be officially over. It is my hope that you had a wonderful holiday with friends and family and good health.

I have been fortunate in the area of friends and family, but not so much in the way of good health. A severe sinus infection (left untreated for too many days) has had me down for the count for the better part of a week. As a result, my husband and I missed our annual New Year’s Eve party with our dear friends who have hosted this event for 22 years in a row. None-the-less, we did stay up to watch… well, truth be told, we ended up watching the Myth Busters Marathon on the Discovery channel before finally flipping over to Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve show.

We snuggled on the couch in silence before I asked, “Got any new year’s resolutions?” He said, “No. You?” I replied, “Oh the usual ones: I’m going to exercise more, eat better and lose weight, along with a few others that I know I won’t keep.” We chuckled as he commented, “That’s exactly why I don’t make resolutions!”

I have always been a goal-setter. I was tickled when I received my regular email from BNI – Indiana franchise owner, Hazel Walker, this morning about this new year that is before us. In it, she said: “This year, throw out the new year’s resolutions and set your 2008 goals. Don’t let your referral business happen by accident. Focus on your business referral goals.”

Great advice, Hazel. Don’t let your life happen by accident. Toss out the idea of resolutions. You know you won’t stick to them anyway. Setting goals is different. This year, write down your goals. Put them on a piece of paper where you can review them daily or at least weekly. Make them measurable. Don’t simply say, “I’m going to lose weight.” How much weight are you going to lose? How exactly do you plan on losing that much weight? And set a deadline. I always write out my goals for 3 months, 12 months, five years, and then long-term. Hold yourself accountable – or join an accountability group.

Lastly, don’t give up! We live in a microwave society and expect instant results just as we get instant rice. You won’t appreciate it if it’s handed to you on a silver platter.

So, here’s to a prosperous and successful 2008. And remember, it’s not just what you say… it’s the way you say it.

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