What are you doing this week? Don’t waste the opportunity.

The week between Christmas and the New Year is the biggest opportunity of your career. And your New Year’s Eve plans are in the way of next year’s success. It amazes me how much “prep time” goes into “What are you doing New Year’s Eve?”

The week after the New Year will be a ‘slow one’ at best.

Below are a few things to ponder, list, write about, and maybe even take action on as you head into the unknown of next year…

NOTE: It’s unknown what will happen in THE world, but YOUR world is a lot more ‘knowable, definable, and actionable.’

And rather than me telling you what to do, let me share with you what I intend to do and you can make your own plan from there.

I am going to continue to expand on my “four words” from last year. My words from last year (posted on my bathroom mirror) were FINISH, WRITE, SHAPE, and YES.

My results?

I finished the 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling.
I wrote 1,000 words a week and documented hundreds of ideas.
My shape is still plus 20 pounds, so that word will remain this year.
I maintained my YES! Attitude, but seeing the word every morning and evening in my bathroom mirror helped.

Not bad achievement results – but still being 20 pounds overweight shows a flaw in my self-discipline. Not good.

This year’s words are divided into two categories – achievement and improvement.

On the achievement side:
ADVISOR – DIGITAL – POWER – TIME

On the improvement side:
INSTAGRAM – BLOG – SHAPE – BEST

I’ll define those eight words next week. Hopefully they’ll inspire you to write and define your words for the year. Interestingly, you most likely mentally know what they are, but have yet to bring them to the visual surface as Post-it Notes on your bathroom mirror.

The balance of this week and next will be spent (actually invested) by thinking about, doing, and documenting the following:

Making one plan to make a longtime dream a reality. For me, it’s traveling to The Great Wall of China.
Solidify one big idea. My big idea for 2014 is the continuation and solidification of the Gitomer Certified Advisor Program. It will emerge in 2014 as the premier independent licensee program in the world.
Intensify the improvement of your major strength. More and better writing for me.
Celebrate life and plan a few celebrations. Several on the list – follow my Instagram: @jeffreygitomer for continued details – and inspiration for you.
Celebrate family and plan a few celebrations. August in Paris! Getting to know my family below the surface. Spend less time in idle chit chat and more time talking about life and intentions.
List grateful acts of 2013. My brother’s continued hearing recovery. My health. My partner Jessica for her untiring dedication to the financial health of our business. My children, grandchildren, and extended family. My dedicated staff of smart, real-world people.
List cool things that happened. Some of mine were: 50-year high school reunion, lifetime achievement award from Haddonfield High School, the fourth summer trip to Paris in four years, launch of GitomerVT.com, launch of my Gitomer Certified Advisor Program. ACTION: Listing your cool things will make you happy and proud, and provide inspiration for this year’s cool things to be achieved.
List intentions for 2014. What are you REALLY gonna do? Beyond goals and resolutions, your intentions are the key to successful achievement outcomes.
Read one book a month. Start with these two: The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan and The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. ACTION: Read on a Kindle app and learn my secret of faster reading.
Write 1,000 words a week. My weekly column, Sales Moves, enters its 22nd year. I’ve written and published more than a million words. (The average business book is 50,000 words.) ACTION: Wake up and WRITE.
Think by yourself for ten minutes a day. Make a hard appointment for yourself. NOTE: You can combine thinking and writing!

My list of things to do between now and the New Year should keep you busy, productive, and inspired to achieve more this year than you did last year. It’s not just a goal and it’s not just a resolution; it’s your intention, your drive, your work ethic, and your consistency that will create genuine achievement.

Happy New Year!

Free GitBit: My secret for reading faster with greater comprehension is here can be found at www.gitomer.com. Enter the word READING in the GitBit box.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].