The 95 – no, 96 – Best Business Resolutions for 2011

The 95 – no, 96 – best business resolutions for 2011.  Whether you make official New Year Resolutions or not, taking a step back to check your focus, work-life balance, long-term goals and whether your business is aligned with your personal, ultimate life-goals is a healthy way to end or begin the year. 

With that in mind, I went out looking for a great checklist to share, and found it – on CarolRoth.com.  She compiled a list of 95 very short, to the point ‘Resolutions’ and I know that many of them will hit home with you as they did with me. 

Before you go to the article, I am going to top the list off with a new #1 of my own. 

My 2011 New Year Resolution #1:  Replace Yourself.

This goal has always been my subconscious aim at any new position I took, as evidenced by results.  It can be couched in other terms, like transformation, growth, development – but the end result in my past positions was always the same. 

I would take a new job, immediately begin to get ‘the lay of the land’ of the company, the needs of my immediate superiors, and what things I could do or change in order to better the company.  In short order, I solved needs of my superiors and helped to fill in the gaps where they were stretched thinnest.  An intuitive person, I met needs of co-workers in professional and personal ways in order to help them do their jobs better, faster, and happier.  By the time I was ready, for whatever reason, to leave a position, it was because that position – essentially – no longer existed.  Because I had transformed the responsibilities, created efficiencies to automate or negate tasks, grown the position to the point where responsibilities had to be divided among several people, etc.  

I didn’t consciously realize that I was doing this until my last couple of positions.  Once I understood that my strengths lied in analysis, intuition and problem solving, I used those skills even more effectively to do away with the positions that I took and transform them into something else. 

I was not only transforming positions in those organizations, though, I was replacing myself.  With each new adventure and exercise – of analyzing and anticipating what was needed, and developing the skills, knowledge, technology or whatever else was needed in order to make progress – I was also replacing myself with a new, ever-learning, developing, and hungry me; a me with new skills and the ability to take on the next new adventure. 

So with the advent of 2011, I resolve to once again replace myself.  In my business and in my personal life.   To continue to grow and develop.  To challenge myself.   To analyze, anticipate and meet the needs of others and of myself.  To be more bold than I am afraid.  To walk close enough to the edge to see oh-so-much more than I can from the center. 

[Click here] to go to the article at CarolRoth.com to read 95 more of the ‘Best Business Resolutions’ for 2011 by a wide variety of business leaders that will give you motivation, inspiration, a kick in the pants – all that you need to make 2011 a year of growth and prosperity — It’s going to be a great year!