A New Year - A New Start

We all know one or two complainers. All they seem to do is complain about everything. They generally won't do anything about a problem; but they'll complain about it indefinitely.

Here are some of the complaints I've heard recently: "I can't stand this job." "I hate my boss." "I can't afford to pay these bills." "School is stupid; I just can't get this math."

Well, stop complaining and do something about it! In about two weeks, we're facing a new year, a new decade, and a new millennium. Its time for a fresh start.

Yeah, I know, there are a few things we can't change such as death and taxes. We accept these realities, but we can still act on those things that we have the power to change. It will be new years eve soon and amid all the revelry, there will be some new years resolutions. But, do something different this time. Act on that resolution. Make something good happen.

In my consulting business, I deal with a lot of entrepreneurs. These are people who have had an idea and they acted on it. They started a business and have worked to grow that business to provide a product or service to a customer base. How do they succeed, and why? Even though your desire may not be to create a million dollar company, you can still define and achieve a goal to make a better life for yourself or those around you. Here are some common characteristics which I've observed in results oriented people.

Have a goal.
Identify what you want to accomplish(that New Years Resolution). Write it down as a constant reminder. If you don't define it, you'll never accomplish it.

Define intermediate goals if necessary.
If your goal is a big one, then define some smaller or intermediate goals to help move you towards achieving the big goal. Each small goal achievement is a milestone towards your main goal providing positive reinforcement along the way.

Act on your goal.
Avoid becoming one of those complainers who has plenty to grumble about, but never does anything about the problem. Every day or every week you should be doing something that helps to move you closer to your goal.

Think and be positive.
Those complainers always focus on the negative. Is your glass half empty or half full? Mine's half full and I'm working to fill it further.

Do the best that you can.
Even if you do not like your current job or can't stand staying in school, or what ever is your current lot; do the best that you can. Learn from this experience and use it to help you to achieve your next intermediate goal as you progress towards your major goal.

Don't be afraid of failure or rejection.
I recall in a history book that Abe Lincoln lost more elections that he won. But he persevered and won the election that put him in the White House and the history books. After seventeen years of selling consulting services, and having experienced numerous rejections, I am eminently qualified to tell you that persistence pays!

Recognize the value of education.
Our society has become an information society. In fairness to those students struggling with compound sentences, quadratic equations, or physics formulas, I struggled as well. Education teaches you how to learn, solve problems, research, acquire and use information - all skills that will be needed in this new millennium.

So, the choice is yours. You can sit on the side lines and complain, or you can "get a life," and do something about it!

For a free copy of a Performance Improvement Worksheet - a step by step guide to creating your own action plan for better performance - fax your request to Mr. Hubbartt at (630-513-8237) or E-mail him at WSHubbartt @ Hubbartt.com.

William S. Hubbartt is president of Hubbartt & Associates, a St. Charles, IL consulting firm specializing in employee compensation, employee handbooks, personnel policies and supervisory training. (www.Hubbartt.com) Mr. Hubbartt is author of The New Battle Over Workplace Privacy, published by AMACOM Books.