My Biggest 2010 New Year Resolution - Start a New Small Business that Succeeds in Providing Income, Fulfillment and Gives Back to the Community Through the Arts and Charity

I worked for a major corporation for over 22 years and as the organization grew, management constantly looked for ways to be more productive, promote company growth, but it was always crystal clear that the bottom line was the one and only prime directive. Now, any business exists to make money, that is why it is there, and not to improve the lives of its workers...I get that. The problem is, especially with large corporations, that in the end, everything other than the bottom line is forgotten.

In my efforts to succeed at what may be one of the most difficult things I have ever attempted, here are 5 things I will do in 2010 to keep this resolution:

1. Don't give up before the goal is even started.

⁃ Basically, I think there are people who naturally are leaders, entrepreneurs or just the first to raise their hand, step forward or shout out. Then there are people who are silent, workers, followers and/or rule followers. I have been in the latter group all of my life, but over the years, partly from age and partly from frustration of mentors and other leaders, I have realized that I have been progressing toward the line between both groups, have crossed over and have actually been a leader in silence for many years. By leader in silence, I mean that I have found that in most team situations I have been involved with, I tend to have a major influence on the team and the project in spite of the fact that I am not the assigned leader, but a team member. This has given insight and welcomed confidence, both of which are key drivers to wanting to make this happen now. Do not repeat past actions of thinking your goal is unachievable, before you have even started! We all tend to think about risks and outcomes so much that we actually talk ourselves into failure without even beginning to take any risks. Failures are only lessons learned and teach us what to avoid, not reasons to quit completely.

2. Maintain focus on insuring that passions and connection with the local community are key goals.

⁃ I have become well aware of the importance of finding what you do and love most, and then find a way to earn a living at it. If you are a person guided by passion and emotions, just earning a living at any job that comes along will only provide frustrations and will not be fulfilling. If you are not happy at what you are doing, the best you can do is to just keep your job. You will not progress to betterment. It is key to constantly remind yourself why you are working toward any goal, because if it is a difficult goal, you will want to stop many times, unless you remember why you are doing it. Along with liking what you are doing, another aspect of focus should be giving back and helping others, which will serve as further self-fulfillment, as well as promoting general community welfare.

3. Strive to follow my best vision of success.

⁃ As I progress in my research and development of my business plan, the first milestone will be to decide what are my financial capabilities to determine if this venture is possible. As I am one of the thousands in the country who have lost their job during the economic crisis and have decided to strike out in a new direction of starting my own business rather than continue to look for a job in the same field I held previously, I am in a constant state of wondering if I can put together my best wish of how I'd like this business model to look like. What I know is that my best chance of success is also the most costly business model. I could begin with a small part of what I'd really like to do and try to build up to my ultimate dream business, but I feel that that effort will bring a higher degree of failure, as it will not stand out from what exists already. My goal is to find ways to make my ultimate dream come about and I will strive to focus on this aspect.

4. Remember the alternatives, as a method to keep focused on the primary goal.

⁃ As anyone working toward a goal of succeeding at a new venture, it is a good idea to remind yourself of your other choices. If these alternative choices are not attractive ones, they will serve to empower your reasons to keep pushing toward what you really want to do. When I think of all the things I hated about working in the corporate environment, I am inspired to keep pushing in my efforts to make this new venture happen. I know that there is NO chance for success if I don't even try it. I also know that most successful people do not succeed until they continue to push through their failures first.

5. Know that this new venture must continuously change.

⁃ Today's world is about continuous change and these changes occur at rates that are progressively faster all the time. Today's entrepreneur has to be continuously thinking of new ideas and maintain knowledge of what is not only new, but what is going to be new. This is also something that I found frustrating in working at a large corporation that talked about innovation constantly but would never take bold steps to be innovative. Only through trial and error, will great new ideas come about. Especially as small business has become the backbone of employment and the economy of our country during our current crisis, it is extremely important to be open to new ideas. Every business should live in a state of continual change and every business owner needs to be proactive at looking for new ideas for future growth, as well as initial success.

These are just some primary methods that I will use to help me continue toward success in 2010, but they can be used for any goal or resolution you may have. We all need something or someone that will help us stay the course in any endeavor.