How to get what you want in 2012, in business and life.

January is all about stepping into our goals. You can do this formally with lists, charts, whiteboards and PowerPoint presentations, or just use the blank calendar to step back and reflect on what you want for the coming weeks and months.

With my business school and corporate background, it always amazes me when people tell me they don’t set annual goals. “How’s that working for you?”, I ask.  And I either get an empty shrug, or a diatribe about how it is important to live in the moment.  Hey, to each his own.  But, recently, I asked a few Rhode Island business women to share their tips on how to get what you want, and the ladies really stepped up with some great advice:

DETERMINE YOUR GOALS

Tracy Cheney, vice president of Dr. Day Care childcare facilities in northern RI, shares a quote from Walt Disney, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”  (“And, dream big!” she adds.)

Courtney Wright, a banker from North Kingstown, suggests this simple, yet very effective tip, “Write your goals down on paper.”

Wendy Hanson, my co-author, and Oakland, CA-based business coach told me once to “THINK big and ACT big”.  (And, that year, I landed my first Fortune 500 client.) It was author and speaker Marianne Williamson who said, “Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.”

TAKE ACTION

Christina Rondeau, kickboxing professional, and founder of Rondeau’s Kickboxing studios in Johnston, West Warwick, Woonsocket, Warwick and Tiverton, suggests a great way to not get overwhelmed and give up too early, “Take baby steps everyday towards your goal.”

 Mary Lou Lamontagne, a former banker who is now and managing the US tour for the Destiny Africa Children’s Choir, “Embrace change, and take risks!”

 JoEllen Hockenbrough a Providence-based personal chef advises, “Stay out of the way of WHY.”  (On a personal note, the HOW is what gets me every time. As in, “How in the world am I going to make THAT happen?”  Sometimes you just have to trust in the goal itself.)

Mary-Beth Theriault, a wellness professional in North Kingstown had a different slant, “Take a long, quiet walk in the woods. Smell the wind, notice the amazing balance nature has. Feel the sun and listen to your heart as you walk. Trust in yourself. Leave all the modern distractions at home. Stop thinking only about what we want, but rather look for what we need, AND how we can help those around us.”

GET HELP

Jennifer Madura, a human resources professional with The Nature Conservancy, advises, “Stay inspired and make sure you have the support you need to achieve your goals.”

Karen Hersum, North Kingstown realtor, advises making connections that can help you get where you want to go.  “Put yourself out there. Go to new events and meet like-minded people.”

Audrey Kullberg, a marketing research expert from NYC, now living in North Kingstown, suggests a bit of reading: “Mika Brzezinski’s recent book, “Knowing Your Value”, which interviews a number of successful women, and concludes that “to get ahead, women have to ask for want they want and be prepared to walk away if they don’t get it.“

 Lena West, social media strategist from New York City tells it like it is, “If you don’t A.S.K., you don’t G.E.T.!”  (Isn’t that the truth?)

My best advice?  Be committed to whatever it is that you want.  Don’t waiver.  Don’t permit others to force you to stray off the path.  Follow your heart, be open to all the possibilities and go for it!   Only you can do this – no one else can give you permission or do it for you.  Own your goals!

And, in the words of my childhood friend from Cumberland, Kristen (who is now a teacher in Kentucky), if all else fails, “Bat your eyelashes and show some Cleveland (wink, wink)!”  Sorry guys, the ladies have the advantage on that one…

Share/Comment: What’s YOUR goal, and are you ready to get what you want?

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