How are you planning for your success in 2007? This is the time of year we hear about New Years resolutions and the statistics around follow-through. Studies have found that 23% of resolutions are abandoned in the first week, and by the end of the month, 45% have given up. Based on the crowds at my health club, it appears that February is the big threshold for many! What causes that burst of optimism and hope to wane so quickly? I believe that one factor is the “lottery mentality” that so many of us have. We want the quick fix – the answer that doesn’t require too much time, trouble, or effort. If someone else would just give us the answer to our challenges, life would be great.

Here’s an example: a survey done in 2004 by a financial organization found that 27% of Americans thought that playing the lottery was their best chance of gaining $500,000 in their lifetime. Among low-income respondents, as many as 50% thought those games of chance were their best ticket to a bright future. Yet the odds of winning with any particular ticket are close to 1 in 10 million to 20 million. Americans spend about $45 billion dollars per year on the hopes of winning a new future.

Some people say that what they spend on lottery tickets wouldn’t make that much difference anyway. I did my own little calculation. If you saved just $5 per day (skipping the fancy coffee, taking your lunch vs eating out, etc.) at the end of the year you would have $1750 A small chunk of change. If you invested that at 10% with only annual compounding, and kept investing that $5 a day for 5 years, you would have about $13,500. That small difference of $5 each day begins adding up with a little persistence and focus.

Diet plans are a similar concept (stay with me for a moment while I tie the two together!). Authors and businesses have made billions on our hopes and dreams of the “right” health answer. We play the “diet lottery” with grapefruit diets, blood type diets, and all other schemes that promise a new future. Yet our nation is fatter than ever before. What do people who are lean and healthy do? They “own” their health by watching what they eat and exercising. Not fancy, but effective!

My point here is that so many of us hope that someone else has the answer for our future. Yet each of us is the only one who can truly plan and direct our future. And NOBODY will take care of you the way you can, especially when you choose to empower yourself. There is no fast, easy answer. And even the lottery winners who thought the lottery was answer, often found it was the path to misery, not happiness.

So this year, don’t wait to win the Lottery to begin your bright future. Resolve to be in charge of your own life! Resolve to create a plan that puts you in control of your future. Here are some ideas:

• Resolve to put the time and attention into planning your future – visioning and imagining how to make your life in 2007, and beyond, YOUR masterpiece. The best investment of your time and money is in yourself: your well-being and continual learning. 
• Remember resilience. Resilience has two meanings. First, it’s the ability to recover readily, such as from an illness or misfortune. So resilience is great when you need to bounce back from a disappointment or setback. Second, resilience is “returning to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched.” Resilience, therefore, is what challenges you to sustain a change. Like a rubber band that snaps back to its smaller shape, you will have a tendency to return to your place of comfort. So be patient and persistent with yourself, knowing it will take time to make your life changes a natural part of who you are.
• Make a plan. Waiting for the lottery makes planning easy – you just buy a ticket each week. But “owning” your future requires thinking about some steps, even small ones like the $5 a day example, that will move you to the future you desire. A concept I’ve borrowed from Tony Robbins is “3 to Thrive.” Identify 3 things that you can do, no matter what, that will keep you progressing toward your goal. Identify a “3 to Thrive” for each goal. Your 3 for health might be drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day, getting some form of exercise daily, and taking your supplements. Then, no matter how crazy your schedule, you have a few things that you can do daily that will keep you moving toward your goal.
• Celebrate even the smallest accomplishments. Just doing your “3 to Thrive” may be an accomplishment some days! The mood lift you will get by celebrating will help you stay on course.
• Resolve to stay the course, no matter what. Keep your 2007 vision and plans in front of you, even when it seems like things aren’t working out. If it’s more painful NOT to follow through than to follow through, you’ll be on your way to success.
• Get support. You hear this from me all the time, but I believe that having a team to support you can make the difference between success and failure. Find a buddy, hire a personal trainer or financial planner, hire a coach, do whatever it takes to get and keep your momentum. As a new way to support my clients in big action and big results, I’m offering a new program: 100% Commitment. See the Burning Brightly section below for more details.

This is YOUR life – you are worth the investment. Don’t wait for someone else to have the answers for you. Consider making plans for 2007 that empower and inspire you, rather than the traditional types of resolutions. You have everything you need to be successful RIGHT NOW! I wish you a prosperous and joyful 2007.