Here are 11 action items to implement in January:
1. Create a plan to contact as many people as you are able by the end of January to seek referrals.
2. Plan your professional development activities for the year and schedule them in your diary.
3. Provide your clients and prospects with options on how to work with you. Focus on the
how not the
whether they should use you.
4. Talk through your challenges with someone you trust. Don’t add stress as an additional adversity.
5. Maintain the relationship with your bank manager. Be sure you are given the most favourable terms, options, offerings, etc.
6. Provide value whenever you can. Be the
go-to person for a variety of needs. Be visible in your marketplace.
7. Make essential investments (self-development, marketing) but delay non-essential investments (new mobile phone, new car, new boat).
8. Introduce new value (new products and services) to existing clients, who may panic and cut back on older products and services.
9. Save an amount (e.g., at least 5%) from every sale and deposit it in an investment account.
10. Surround yourself with optimistic, affirmative, successful people.
11. Do not accept advice at association meetings or from solicitations from anyone who is not, themselves, manifestly accomplishing what they claim you will accomplish by listening to them. (There are more people giving coaching advice than there are good coaches.)
Create your own list of ideas if you wish, but do something every single day during January (and February if you had extended holidays) to get the momentum building for 2009. If not now, when?
Of course, you could always add a 12th action item: Subscribe to Ric's Free Monthly Newsletter. [There's my sales pitch!]
Rgds,
Ric
New Year's Action Items for These Turbulent Times 
