Welcome, 2018! The first day of a new year is filled with such hope. Possibilities and potential seem limitless. There is hope of achieving more and living more fully. However, hope alone is not a strategy for success. A more in-depth approach will be needed to be your best in 2018.

Setting goals is a simple yet powerful means to motivate you to action. Goals are concrete pictures of what you aspire to achieve. Achieving goals is often so elusive. You can start a new year with good intentions (goals) and fail miserably.

The inherent power of a goal is to inspire and motivate action. Actions determine success. This seems so simple, act when inspired and succeed!  However, our old behavioral habits challenge our progress and can thwart our efforts once the inspiration has worn off. Changing behavioral habits is challenging, but possible and necessary.

The root of behavior originates in a mindset. A mindset is a fixed mental attitude that predetermines responses to and interpretations of situations.  A wise man in Proverbs said it this way, “As a man thinks, so is he”. Mindsets tend to become fixed over time, thus our behavior becomes fixed as well. Adopting a more opened mindset creates more freedom to change behavior.

I recommend you begin this New Year with a new practice. Assess your mindsets before trying to create your goals or action steps. Mindsets are the internal engine which drives us to achieve our goals or sabotage our best efforts.

My Mindsets for 2018

• I am designed for unique purposes and will be true to my unique design.
• Life is about people; it is always about people. So I will consider people in all I do.
• My failures will be a teacher to improve my methods and myself.
• Life is granted one day at a time. I will enjoy living in the moment, not anxious for what is next or regret over the past.
• I will reflect more than react and ask more questions more than offer answers.
• I will discover what is most essential and choose to say no to everything else.
• Why I do something (my purpose and motive) is more important than what, when or how.
• Life is a marathon, not a sprint so I can resist the urge to overwork.
• The best is yet to come.

My hope is you experience more success in your life, work, and leadership in 2018. I am glad to play a role in championing your efforts. As we begin a new year, let me know how I can serve you, your business, and team through this newsletter or leadership coaching and development.

The Best is yet to come,

Jim