As the sprinters line up at the starting line of a race, the starter yells, “On your mark, get set, go!”  As you get ready to start the next leg of your dash in 2004, I want to give the same instructions to you. 

On Your Mark

Now is the time to find your mark – the place where you are going to stand and more importantly, what you are going to stand for.  What do you want to achieve next year?  Is 2004 going to be the year you finally quit smoking, learn French, start your own business, mend a broken relationship with a loved one, get out of debt or lose 60 pounds?  If so, now is the time to make your decision and take a stand.

Get Set

If you’ve ever been to a track meet, then you know that sprinters don’t just show up at the track, walk to the starting line and start running.  They first spend some time warming up before the race.  They wouldn’t consider starting the race without first stretching and running back and forth down the track.

You need some time to warm up as well.  You need to spend some time stretching; enlarging your skills, your knowledge, your financial resources and your network of associates.  You also need to make a few “dry runs” before the real race starts in January.  For instance, if your dream is to be the next American Idol, warm up by singing in a local karaoke bar.  Or if your dream is to become a world renown fashion designer, warm up by designing holiday outfits for your nieces and nephews.

 Go!

In the Olympic 100-meter dash, the sprinters can only start running when the starter fires his pistol.  However, in your 2004 dash, you’re allowed to cheat a little bit.  There is no need for you to wait until 12:00 a.m. on New Years’ Day to start on your goal of losing 60 pounds next year.  You can jump the gun by starting today.  Why not lose 10 pounds during the next two months so that you are already in full stride when the race officially begins?

In fact, some goals can be accomplished only by jumping the gun.  For instance, let’s suppose that you are a salesperson and you’ve set a goal to double your sales in 2004.  The only way to accomplish that goal is to jump the gun and start setting up your January appointments now.  The same principle applies to almost any goal.  Remember, a good January starts in November.

And by all means, if you must wait until January to get started on your goal, don’t do anything in the next two months to make your goal more difficult to achieve.  For instance, if you decide that next year is the year when you finally pay off your credit cards, don’t make it harder by charging them to the limit this holiday season.  The same thing applies to weight loss.  It will be difficult enough to lose any excess weight you may be carrying now.  Don’t make it even harder by putting on an extra 15 pounds during the holidays.

Therefore, as your starter for the 2004 leg of your dash, let me just say, “On your mark, get set, jump the gun.”