Well, here we are well into the New Year.

We all survived January, which I’m pretty sure is the official busy gym month.

In my town, I think it is actually known as the annual “Good Luck Getting an Hour on the Racquetball Court” month. All the people who gorge on cigarettes, fast food and television for 11 months of the year have set a New Year’s resolution — this year they are finally going to lose all that weight, quit smoking and sell their TVs (after the Super Bowl, of course)

January is also the month that salespeople in every industry say they are finally going to get organized.

They are finally going to do all of their follow-ups and this year they will send thank you notes to every customer.

Salespeople all over the country have even bought new laptops and new organizers.

File cabinets now adorn home offices.

For most people, these new additions are strictly decorative.

The pile of thank you notes and envelopes sit in the supply cabinet turning a very antique shade of yellow.

But, there are some individuals every year that actually do follow through.

In fact, there are some people who have decided to make a permanent transformation from salesperson to sales professional.

These people, however, know that they didn’t need a new year to make this transformation.

They know that all they need is a desire to change that is stronger than the desire to remain the same.

Pay as you go
If you want to be a part of that small percentage of people then read on.

If you are a person who always sets resolutions without the commitment, then you may want to skip to the technical section of this publication because this article will probably just make you feel guilty.

Of course, a big piece of chocolate cake may help relieve that guilt and I like people to read what I write, so I guess you can keep reading.

But, I would rather speak directly to the people who do more than talk about what they are going to do tomorrow.

I have lost about 70 pounds in the past two and a half years. And, I have done it without dieting.

I have come to realize that “going on a diet” is by its very nature a temporary thing.

What I used to do was completely cut out all the stuff I loved but knew was not good for me.

After a few weeks of self-torture, the result was that I craved a big huge plate of mashed potatoes with butter, bacon and cheese mixed in together like a big starch sundae.

Now what I do is allow myself to have that stuff when I want it. I just eat less and I pay as I go.

That means that if I am going to eat a slice of French silk pie, I need to pay for it with exercise, which does wonders for the guilt factor by the way.

Set realistic goals
As a sales professional, I like to take an afternoon off periodically.

Sometimes I will wake up and decide that the weather is more conducive to golf than it is for canvassing.

One of the beautiful things about our industry is that we have the flexibility to make these types of decisions.

However, the difference between a sales professional and a salesperson is that when a sales professional decides to blow the day off, he/she knows when and how he/she will be paying for that afternoon.

That person will work late the next day or on Saturday.

That person knows that if he/she eats biscuits and gravy all the time without exercise, he/she will gain weight and if that person plays golf every day, that person will go bankrupt.

The sales professional also knows that goals have to be realistic.

Being realistic means setting goals within the confines of what your personality allows for as well as what is physically possible.

Set goals that challenge yourself but will not make you so miserable that you abandon them in a fit of uncontrollable rebellion against your own restrictions.

Focus on specifics
Making a New Year’s resolution like “I am going to sell a lot more this year” does not usually work.

Be specific. How many more units do you want to sell? How do you get there?

Don’t just set a vague number without drawing a map for yourself on how to achieve it.

If you decide you want to go to Europe for vacation then you have to plan a ton of things before you actually go.

Do you have a passport? When are you going? Do you fly or take a ship? How do you pay for the trip? How long are you going to be there?

The more specific your plan, the more likely you are to accomplish all of the things you want to accomplish.

Make a commitment
The word resolution is defined as “the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.”

The most important aspect of being successful is making a lifestyle change. And, the most important aspect of accomplishing your long-term goals is to make a commitment.

Before you set your goals, figure out whether or not you really want to change or if you are happier with the status quo.

Just because you know you should do something does not mean you will.

Either develop the motivation to make the change or accept that your change will be temporary.

We will almost always do what we prefer doing.

Once you set your goals, make a commitment. Become determined.

Write them down and post them everywhere — your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, your car steering wheel, your video game controller and wherever you will see these notes most often.

Hold yourself accountable. Become who you wish to be. Become resolved.