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SETTING NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS THAT WORK.
The New Year is upon us, and what a wonderful time to focus on a New You. At the beginning of each New Year, we quiet often find ourselves reflecting on the past year and formulating plans that we would like to see enacted by the year-end. It is during this time that we sit in the quiet and make resolutions for the upcoming year. Our mind soars to releasing old patterns and embracing new expanded ideas. We focus on our ‘ideal self’ and acknowledge what it would take to get us closer to it. This act of self-contemplation is a very powerful time and one that is important in our growth and development. It is true, we all know what is best for our evolution, and the beginning of the New Year is usually when we are most in-tuned with the changes that are necessary to move us forward.

As we sit in our place of quiet, we write or mentally implant our resolutions for the new year, with the most common resolutions being: to lose weight, to begin exercising, to stop smoking, and to make more money. Yet, what you will find is, time and again, those well-intended resolutions made in January, become objectives of the past by March. Most resolutions tend to just fade away. They, quite frequently merely become a point of inactivity.

Let’s face it: New Years resolutions just don’t work. So, why do so many New Years Resolutions become broken promises? After all, the word resolution means to resolve, to be determined or to come to a conclusion. To resolve something is to say that it is, and that you have found the solution! Some believe the reason that most resolutions become unresolved is due to procrastination, or lack of desire, or just plain laziness? Perhaps those could be some of the reasons, but I’ve found the primary cause for not fulfilling one’s New Year’s resolutions to be less about the desire to fulfill them and more about the ability to fulfill them. The primary cause for not completing resolutions is making New Year resolutions without a plan as to how they will be completed. In other words, the resolutions are well intended but how they are to be achieved is not well thought out. A destination without a road map to get there is seldom realized! For example, you are at point A and want to go to point Z in one year, but have no plan as to how you are going to get there. So, by the month of March point Z appears unattainable and thus, the resolution is set-aside until another time.

Consequently, you must set realistic resolutions with a clear idea as to how you are going to accomplish them. For example, Marty’s 2002 resolution was to start her own daycare business. Yet, by the end of 2002 Marty was no closer to starting her daycare business, as she was when she initially made the resolution. This year she has resolved to once again start a daycare, but this year she accompanied her resolution with a plan as to how it was to be accomplished. First, she is going to contact the state to attain all the requirements for starting a daycare. Secondly, she is going to write a detailed business plan. Thirdly, she is going to put together a team of people that believe in her vision. Next, she is going to complete all the legal requirements for the daycare. She is then going to find a location. Finally, she is going to secure the funds for the location and other move-in expenses. This year Marty thought her idea out thoroughly, and she developed a plan as to how it is to be accomplished.

In 2002 Marty truly did want to start her own daycare, but she just didn’t know how. A resolution without a plan of action is simply wishing. Her inability to reach her goals in 2002 caused her much dissatisfaction; she was constantly beating up on herself. She felt guilty, ashamed and hopeless. Now she feels in control of her own destiny; she has a goal and a plan as to how it is going to be accomplished.

So, let’s examine how you can turn your resolutions into accomplishments.

1. Go into a place of quiet and reflect on your life. Examine where you are now and where you ideally would like to be. What changes do you need to make to get you closer to your ideal self?
2. Take out a piece of paper and write where you would like to be by next year this time.
3. Write what steps it will take to get you to your next year goal. From the previous example, Marty’s resolution is to start her own daycare. Her steps are to first, contact the state to attain all the requirements for starting a daycare. Secondly, she is going to write a detailed business plan. Thirdly, she is going to put together a team of people that believe in her vision. Next, she is going to complete all the legal requirements for the daycare. She is then going to find a location. Finally, she is going to secure the funds for the location and other move-in expenses.

After reviewing the steps required to start her own daycare, Marty realized it might take her two years to fulfill her goal. A more realistic resolution for Marty this year is to complete the preliminaries of starting her own daycare. She is going to research the state’s requirements, write the business plan and put together her team. Writing the steps required to reach your goal is necessary to establish realistic resolutions.
4. Based on #3 write a final realistic resolution.
5. Under your realistic resolution write the steps it will take for it to be a realization.
6. Take your steps from #5, and break them down into monthly, weekly and daily ‘things to do’.
7. Complete your ‘things to do list’ daily.

If you follow the steps listed above it is guaranteed that your resolutions will be accomplished goals. It truly is imperative that we take time to evaluate ourselves and then set realistic goals that we can strive towards. Yet, the key is to make our goals attainable and not set too far from where we are now. We must be willing to take the steps that are necessary to get us where we want to go. To make a resolution is to resolve, and resolve is to make concrete or final. This year make your resolutions realistic and make your plans clear as to how you are going to accomplish them. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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The Goal Oriented Entrepreneur Support Group is where many of our members received their inspiration and motivation to start their own business. In 2004 we will be meeting the 2nd Saturday of each month from 11:00 am until 12:30 pm, at our offices located at 2600 Century Parkway, Suite 100, Atlanta, Georgia 30345. This group is designed for both the start-up entrepreneur and the seasoned business owner.

If you are interested in attending or if you have any questions, please contact The Center for Self-Actualization, Inc.

12-Month Outline

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Affirmation:
AFFIRMATION FOR A NEW YEAR
I set realistic resolutions that will aid in my personal growth and expansion. My resolutions are attainable and reachable. I complete my resolutions with great ease. I am satisfied and fulfilled. As a matter of fact, this is the best year ever. I am active and creative, and as a result I am abundant and financially prosperous. I give freely this year and receive freely. Things come easy to me. Thanks God, and so it is.

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Member Highlights

Now Open!
VIRTUOUS WOMAN CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES, INC.
We are pleased to announce the opening of Virtuous Woman Clothing and Accessories, Inc. located at the Point South Shopping Center in Morrow Georgia. Virtuous Woman Clothing and Accessories specializes in designer women clothing for church, after-five and work, sizes 8 to 32. The store also has Italian shoes, matching handbags and hats.

Congratulation is extended to the founder Lakita Parker-House. Lakita is originally from Rochester, New York and moved with her husband and 3-year-old son to Atlanta in early 2002. Lakita was inspired by her grandmother in-law who started a similar store in Rochester. She shared a story about her husband’s grandmother, a well-known minister in Rochester, who sought to inspire her congregation toward self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship. So, she started her own store as an example of what is possible. Lakita contacted the Center for Self-Actualization in March 2003. Together we worked to make Lakita’s dream a realization. Lakita used many attributes to make her dream a reality. She used patience, because every dream takes time to be realized. She used perseverance, because when something is unseen it is quite easy to give up. She used faith, purchasing much of her merchandise before the store was in existence. Finally, she used wisdom, although she is only twenty-four years old, she was wise enough to seek help in formulating her vision.

Lakita is a great example of what is possible if you set your sights high. I encourage you to support Virtuous Woman Clothing and Accessories and visit her store soon and receive a 10% discount on any purchase. You can also access Virtuous Woman Clothing and Accessories, Inc. on line at www.virtuouswomanclothing.com.

Virtuous Woman Clothing and Accessories, Inc.
1440 Mt. Zion Rd.
Suite A
Morrow, GA 30260
770-960-7796
virtuouswomanclothing.com

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IT MANAGEMENT CONSULTING
Specializing in making your business more efficient.
Clinton Ritchie, owner, is a multi-disciplinary Information Systems & Technology (IS&T) Professional with extensive crisis management, strategic planning, policy formulation, and international technology solutions experience. He is skilled in identifying and analyzing a broad range of client needs and problems, and has a solid track record of consistently improving business performance through the effective use of Information Systems and Technologies. Mr. Ritchie has over 25 years of business
experience in several industries, including Digital Media, Global Mobile Telecommunications, Computer HW/SW Manufacturing, Management Consulting, Investment Banking and Insurance. His professional skills include Telecommunications Billing & Customer Care, IS&T Outsourcing, Technical Due Diligence, Critical Reviews/Audits, Vendor Selection, Contract Negotiations, Program/Project Management, Business Process Development, Web Based Enterprise Architectures, Systems Integration, User Acceptance Management, Quality Assurance, Business Systems Analysis, Applications Development, SLA and Operations Management.

Formerly Director of Systems & Operations with ICO Global Communications in the United Kingdom, Mr. Ritchie also held senior management positions with NCR in Columbia, SC, Amdahl-Fujitsu Corporation in NY, Coopers & Lybrand, Citibank, and AFIA World Wide Insurance (CIGNA). Mr. Ritchie holds a Bachelors (Honors) degree in Computing & Information Science from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and completed executive management programs in Finance & Accounting at Columbia University, and Strategic Marketing for Technology Products at California Institute of Technology. He was also a speaker on Information Systems & Technology methods, architectures, and solutions for global Billing & Customer Care at IBC International Telecommunications conferences. So, for all your technology needs, give Clinton Ritchie a call; you are assured of receiving the technical expertise you deserve.

678-438-9782
clintonjritchie@aol.com

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Self-Actualization is using your full potential. Now, since we only use 12% of our brain, how much of our potential do you estimate that we use?

One could never imagine what he is truly capable of achieving!