Many of you believe that your divine timing takes place at the start of the New Year. There is something about this date that holds some kind of magic. If you are like most people, you look at the New Year as a sort of clean slate from which to make everything different and right starting on January 1st.

Oh, and this year, more than any other, you just know it’s going to happen:  You are going to throw away those cigarettes, lose 20 pounds, get your finances in order, clean out the clutter, and tackle everything you think is holding you back from experiencing your best life. Yet if you are like 90% of the people who made these resolutions last year, you found yourself abandoning these lofty goals by the third week of January. 

At some point every year you ask yourself why success has slipped from your fingers—again. What I have learned that really helps change this resolution-revolution is realizing that it isn’t enough to just wish for the changes you want in your life. You need to be deliberate and intentional in getting them. To accomplish your goals, be true to your passions and values and live a life that’s authentic, you need three things: inspiration, a plan, and support.  

1. Your Inspiration.  Sometimes inspiration can come from a movie or a mentor, yet often I find that the greatest inspiration comes from inside of you. The strongest motivator is overcoming your fears and knowing that you can do what you set your mind to.  Are you inundated with your fears? I call this a case of the “What if’s.” What if I fail? What if others think I am crazy?  Well let me ask you this, what if you do take a risk and create the life you fully deserve and want?  What if others stop and take notice and think…what am I waiting for? Take a few minutes to write down your fears and then write a positive response to each of your “what ifs.”
2. Your Plan.  If you think about everything great that has happened in this world, it took a plan. Every personal and professional milestone that was achieved took small, medium, and big actions to accomplish. Remember “one small step, one giant leap”? Start by dreaming for a minute. Not thinking or planning, but truly dreaming. What would your life look like if you had no limitations? What would your success feel like? Imagine yourself being there at every step of the process.
3. Your Support. What resources do you have to put your plan into action? For many of us, this seems like a hard question. But I’d bet that if you took some time to assess who is in your world that might be of assistance, you’d be quite surprised. Take a few minutes with pen and paper now and do some emotional networking. Who do you know who has already achieved what you would like to do? Who can you reach out to for advice, support, connections, and most important, to provide some accountability that will keep you on track with your goals? You may not necessarily find the answers in your inner circle, but perhaps someone who knows someone. Anyone who could be of value to help you achieve your goals should be considered.

Remember, good things become great when we do them together.  Or as one of my favorite authors, Dr. Christiane Northrup, calls this: “assisted living.” Whatever you decide the New Year holds for you, it’s important to know that the more you believe, the more real the magic will become.