The holidays are over. 2010 is behind us. A New Year and a chance for a new beginning is upon us. 

To transform your business in 2011, transform yourself first.   That’s right.  As a solopreneur, you are your company and your company is you. 

Would you like to have a breakthrough year in 2011?  If so, remember the five principles of transformation:  

Principle One:  Appreciate Your Success

Last night, on New Year’s Eve, as you looked back on 2010, did you say to yourself  “I’m glad this year is over.” ?  Or, did you say “What a year I had! It was awesome.”?  How often at the end of your workday do you pat yourself on the back for a job well done?  If you’re like most entrepreneurs, probably not very often.  We’ve all become a product of the culture in which we live, one filled with negativity.  It’s on the radio, the TV, in newspapers, and magazines.  All too often, it’s the way in which we think about others…and ourselves.  Most of us are overworked, over-stressed and under-appreciated.  It’s no wonder we sometimes lose our self-confidence and our desire to keep on keeping on.

Start 2011 by ensuring you appreciate your successes and the successes of others.  When individuals are appreciated, they become confident and readily unleash new levels of creativity and productivity.  Likewise for ourselves.  By staying in touch with your successes, you generate the confidence to move on to make new things happen.

Principle Two:   Learn Your Lessons

Most of us get caught up in a never-ending cycle of productivity: we plan to work on a task or project, we act on it, then we finish it.  Our world becomes a cycle of plan, do, complete.  In the world today, most of us are masters at multi-tasking:  we have some projects in the planning stage, we’re working on others, and at the same time, we’re completing others.  We get so caught up in the rush of plan, do, complete, that we eliminate an all-important last step in this cycle of productivity: acknowledgement.  It’s crucial that you take time out to examine what’s working and what’s not, where you missed the mark and where you did things right.   By examining both what worked and what didn’t work, you can find the lessons you need to learn.  You are your own best teacher, the best source of your own wisdom.  We never really need advice and don’t like when we get it because we dislike being told what we know already!  Learn your lessons.

Principle Three:  Shift Your Limiting Beliefs and Assumptions

Each and every one of us has negative beliefs and assumptions about ourselves that we buy into completely. (“I’m too old.”  “I don’t have enough education.”  “I’m not a good sales person.”  “No one can do it as well as I can.”)  It’s time to get out of your trance and wake up to the ways in which you limit yourself.  Living inside what you believe is impossible will only limit what is possible for yourself and your business.

Fill in the blanks in the following sentence:  “I’d love to __________ in my business in 2011, but I can’t because ___________.” 

How did you fill in the blanks?  This is an example of a limiting assumption.  We all have friends and colleagues who do this to themselves.  They listen to that inner voice and put themselves down in order to justify why they can’t do something.  Do you do the same?

Make a decision that your results are more important than the reason why you can’t do something.  Design a new instruction to yourself that will get you past the reason.  Chances are if you think you can do something, you can and will.  If you believe you can’t, you won’t.

Principle Four: Live Your Values

Hiding beneath our tangible goals are the intangible goals that help us actualize our personal values.  Perhaps you have a goal for your business to increase profits by 25% in 2011.  To find your underlying personal value, go through the exercise of asking yourself the question “For the sake of what?”

For the sake of what do I want to increase profits by 25%?

“So I can have a bigger paycheck”

For the sake of what do I want a bigger paycheck?

“So I can take two vacations this year.”

For the sake of what do I want to take two vacations?

“So I can enjoy uninterrupted time with my family.”

Bingo!  At least one of the values underlying your desire to increase profits next year is the value of family.

Everywhere around us we see examples of high-profile people who aren’t living their values.  These individuals are being driven by negative drivers such as power and ego.  What gets you out of bed in the morning?  Are you living your values?  Make a list of the personal values you want to fully honor in the coming year.  Prioritize them.  Consciously live through and honor your values and make them more important in your life and business than negative drivers such as power, trying to looking good and gaining sympathy. 

Principle Five:  Set and Focus on Your Goals

Choose what’s most important to accomplish in your life and business this next year, record these goals, and then achieve them… no matter what.   It’s been proven that those who have written goals are more successful than those who don’t.  Take time to make a list of your top ten goals.  Each goal should be specific and measurable, with a time frame attached to it.  Review your list for any “should” goals and eliminate them.  Stop “shoulding” on yourself!  Every one of your ten goals should be in concert with your personal values and lead to the result you want at the end of the year.  Simply put, identify what you need to do in your business, and do it.

Follow the five principles of transformation in 2011.  Not only will the achievement of your goals be the normal outcome, you will develop an unshakable confidence in your ability to achieve.

Note: concepts from Best Year Yet. Used with permission.