Yes! Now is the time to start thinking and planning your New Year! You can’t hope it’s going to turn out all right. No. You need to plan for it.

Most people don’t succeed because they never take the time to plan for what they want. You can’t go through life winging it. The people we admire on television make success look so easy. However, they spend hours of preparation to get where they are. Ask any comedian or actor/actress. You’d be totally amazed!

Over the years, I’ve studied many of the top achievers in the world. I found out their successes are in direct relation to the amount of preparation they put into their craft.

Let me say this to you:

The big difference between successful and the unsuccessful people come down this: Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Planning and preparation are at the top of the list. Here’s what I really wish for you in the New Year: Stop saying, “I want to have this but I don’t have that.” It’s like something is holding you back. That’s a defeating statement. For example:

“I want this promotion at work but I’m not qualified.” Go get the qualification. Enroll in some courses. Find a mentor or a coach. Read some books. Did you know your language is your way of creating your life? And you’re creating it every day. When you say you want this but you don’t have that, you’re not being resourceful. The reality is, you can’t do everything but you can always do something. Don’t let what you don’t have stopped you from using what you have.

When I was a poor kid struggling in Haiti, I had no resources. However, I was very resourceful. I didn’t have toys. I remember using wooding sticks as my guns to play “Stick’em Up” with the other kids. My horse was long wooden stick. I used to ride that sucker and make noise as if I was riding a horse. You see, my survival depended on how resourceful I was.

Today, I go to corporate America to deliver my keynote on change and attitude. One of the complaints I hear from employees all the time is how they are being forced to do more with less. I’m like, hello! Do something with what you have instead of lamenting about what you used to have that’s no longer available to you.

The thing is, the good old days will never come back. This is the “New Normal World.” Deal with it. Companies are not taking away your resources because they are mean. The new mandate is to do more with less or disappear. That’s the reality. You can make it unreal if you want to. But, you’ll be causing more undue stresses.

Listen, I’m not trying to be harsh or anything. I’m just telling you the way it is. Stop fighting change. Maybe this year was tough for you. I know a lot of people lost their jobs, homes, retirement nests, and the lifestyle they used to have. Things have changed. But guess what? Use your creativity. Turn your wooden stick into your weapon of achievement or your horse.

Stop saying if they would give you enough people you could get the job done. Or, if you had more money you would do this or that. Instead, say to yourself, “What can I do with I have left?” That’s the question you ask yourself to fire up your brain cells for creativity.

You know, my goal for you is to live life to your full potentials in spite of your limited resources. Do the best you can with what you have. Change your language. If you don’t have something, go get it. Or, go find people that have it.

Stretch yourself! Go where you’ve never been before. Do what you’ve never done before. I can hear some people saying, “Rene I want this, but, but, but, but!” To them I say, “Get your BUT out of the way. And go get it what you want.”

I wish you an incredible new year!

Press on!