Q: “Denise, I have chosen my word theme for 2017. It is “Reduce”. I want to reduce the amount of new lead generation I take on, want to reduce the amount of stuff I buy and have, want to reduce the complexity of my business. But now I am overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.”

A: Great word! You should start by doing exactly what you are doing above. Making a list. But I want your list to be more detailed and we need to determine some action items and a goal date for each item. For example, you want to reduce the amount of stuff you buy and have. Since reducing the amount of stuff you buy is something you need to focus on in the future, let’s assume you are going to do that. So how do we reduce the amount of stuff you have? By naming the five areas that are driving you most nuts. Is it the stuff you have in your car? In your closet? In your garage? In your pantry? In your junk drawer? In your office? Let’s assume it is all of these things. Now we need an action plan for these and a goal date:

Now that you have done this for your home, you can apply it to the other things in your life and business. Action plans with goal dates and accountability are what takes a resolution and makes it a reality!