As December days are now in their teens and winding down the end of 2005, we will soon hear the rustle of paper on gifts being unwrapped and the rustle of new file folders being set up for 2006 to begin another new business cycle.

For me, the exciting thing about starting a new business year is the potential for change in business. Whether your business is failing, growing, plateaued or being readied for sale, the New Year always starts with the potential for change to achieve your goals.

Children, including mine, also deal with the notion of potential and are measured for potential by their teacher’s grading and comments on report cards. As my wife and I have looked at our children’s report cards over the years, we’ve noticed an occasional comment by a teacher about our children’s potential.

Often, teachers report to parents that their children are not living up to their potential.  I suppose that is a positive note to parents to read when their child's grades are averaging D across the board.  Potential implies hope and hope is what keeps us all moving.

After having and needing several decades to think this through, the proper response to the comment that someone is not meeting his potential is a question, "And who is?"

The teacher is not living up to her award winning teaching style potential.  The “straight A” student is not living up to his potential for early admission to college,  I am not living up to my potential to make a blog entry every business day.

I look forward to reading the written entry on my child's report card that says, "Charles is meeting his potential and exceeding it at times. Please have him slow down as he is making the underachievers very nervous."

The point is that potential is constant and limitless.

Your potential for improvement in 2006 is better than ever since you are adding one more year of life experience to your resume. It’s a wonderful time of year to map out what you will be doing differently in 2006 with your business and your life.

Find some time during this holiday season to examine your potential and start the process of changing the things you want to change. I’ve got a feeling that your fourth grade teacher might still say you are not living up to your potential.

Do you think she is right?

Your potential in your business has no limits. My 8 simple strategies for success can help you manage for success. Want to learn more? click here

"Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it. Plan more than you can do, then do it." -- anon.

"Nothing you can't spell will ever work." -- Will Rogers

"To have that sense of one's intrinsic worth . . .is potentially to have everything." -- Joan Didion

After spending three solid days last week in an intensive session with a mastermind group led by a very intense leader who does his best work playing the part of Captain Obvious, I am convinced my fourth grade teacher would scold me for not living up to my potential. My colleagues at the meeting gave me inspiration by sharing their success and failures of the year. They, too, are also convinced of their need to find the limits of their own potentials. No one left screaming, “I’m done, my limits have been reached, I am the self employed example of The Peter Principle”.

We all left jazzed, refreshed and convinced that the sport of life is getting to the next level, no matter how long it takes.

Are you ready for a bigger game in 2006? Check your potential.

Be Merry and Happy,

Doug

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