We are now in the midst of that annual exercise in futility known as making New Year’s Resolutions.

You know the drill!

You create a hopeful, and often long, list of things you would like to do better in the coming year.

Losing weight and exercising more seem to be perennial favorites, along with making more money and spending more time with loved ones.

That list ends up in a drawer somewhere, and then gets thrown out when you come across it several months later.

It is just another way we humans find to make ourselves feel badly and disappointed in ourselves.

What if there were a better way?

I would like to propose that, instead of making a list of resolutions, you make a list of decisions.

What is truly important to you to accomplish, or for longer term goals, start accomplishing this year?

Inspiration plays a key role is this process as well.

If the decisions you make are to last beyond the heat of the moment when you make them, take the time to sit down and write a list of why these particular decisions are meaningful to you, and how they will enhance your life, and the lives of other people as well.

But remember this fundamental law!

Nothing gets done until you set aside time in your calendar to actually do the right things at the right time.

One of the people who really knew how to get things done was the late Dwight D Eisenhower, not only as the Supreme Commander of Allied forces in Europe during World War II, but then later as the 34th President of the United States of America.

In fact, we are all indebted to Dwight Eisenhower for using his time as president to push for the creation of the inter-state highway system in the United States.

During the war, he had seen how undue dependence on railways was a defensive danger, since bombing rail lines was an easy way to cut off the critical movement of people and goods during wartime.

Click here to check out his Urgent/Important Principle.

If that information seems somewhat familiar to you, it’s because Stephen R. Covey included it in his landmark book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

So setting aside time for the consequential items that aren’t urgent is an indispensable key to reaching many of the underlying and substantive goals in your life.

THREE DECISIONS TO CONSIDER:

  1. Is one of your decisions to stop keeping yourself and your results small, either because you are not sure what to say in various situations, or how to put it across in a compelling manner, or because you are simply too nervous or scared to speak up in public?
  2. Have you come to the conclusion that now is finally the time to learn more effective ways to communicate with people in various situations?
  3. Do you have the sneaking suspicion that I might possibly be the right person to help you achieve your communication goals?

If so, here are two options for you to consider:

  • THE SLOW BUT STEADY OPTION:  The VVP Academy is my private membership community that is chock full of resources that are available to you 24/7. Here’s the link to check it out: https://vibrantvocalpower.com/academy
  • THE DEEP DIVE OPTION:  Private one-on-one mentoring with me is your unique path, designed to enable you to achieve your particular communication goals as efficiently and as effectively as possible. More information is available at this link: http://meetwithmarjorie.com/

Whatever you decide to accomplish this brave new year, here’s wishing you every success in using your decision making power to create your best year yet.