Goals / Purpose - Reflect Back and Plan Forward... - News: JFD Performance Solutions

A month into the New Year already. Are you rolling? Are you on your way to making 2010 truly better than 2009?

The start of a new year is always a great time to reflect back and plan forward. Here are some great questions to springboard that thinking. Remember, you're more likely to achieve something if you plan for it and write it down, so ... get your pens ready! Here goes:

It seems as though every business-related book, blog or speech these days is titled to emphasize the unique economic times that we are experiencing. Titles like: "Selling When the Economy Stinks", "Finding a Job in Turbulent Times", "Marketing in an Upside-Down World", and even "Leading in a Piggly-Wiggly World" (aha, you caught me). Yet these are, of course, special and trying times...I certainly understand and appreciate that. And there are different business methods and actions that are more appropriate now than, say, three or four years ago when the economy was riding high. On the other hand, an awful lot of what is effective and relevant these days also works in any economic environment.

Harvey Mackay certainly knows what it takes to be successful. And like most successful people, he learned from other great leaders in the world, like Sam Walton of Walmart. Enjoy these words of wisdom from the largest employer in the world, taken from the writings of Harvey.

Sam Walton, the legendary founder of Walmart, had 10 rules for running a successful business. They are simple and straightforward, but guess what? I would bet the farm that a great many businesses don't follow them -- and they'd be better off if they did.

Read these and see how they might fit into your business plan for 2010 and beyond. Take note that even in this tough economy, Walmart is prospering.

1. Commit to your business. Believe in it more than anyone else. Passion is at the top of the list of the skills you need to excel. When you have passion, you speak with conviction, act with authority and present with zeal. If you don't have an intense, burning desire for what you are doing, there's no way you'll be able to work the long, hard hours it takes to become successful.

This book has been on my reading list for awhile. Then, its recent endorsement by commercial real estate broker-extraordinaire Peter Pessetto prompted me to act. "Mr. Shmooze" is the story of a man who lives his life and performs as a salesperson with the conviction that selling is not about "taking" or "persuading," but about "giving." Sometimes shmoozing (or schmoozing) has a negative connotation, as when a person acts kindly toward someone else in order to take advantage of them in some way.

In the hustle and bustle of the Holiday Season, remember to take time to give ... give your time ... give a smile ... give away a parking space at the mall. It's the little things that count! In that spirit of giving, here are a few of our favorite quotes: