As it is New Year’s Eve, it seemed appropriate to discuss New Year’s resolutions. I’ve never been fond of New Year’s resolutions because I always thought that if I should do something, why wait until the magic day (the New Year)? However, in thinking about this topic in relation to business and personal success, I had a thought to share – why not focus on what you enjoy doing?

As usual, this sounds quite simple and certainly not profound; however, how often do you prioritize what you enjoy? And, if you have prioritized what you enjoy, did you notice a difference? I’ve found that when people focus on what they enjoy, they are not only happier, they typically excel, make more money than they thought possible and enjoy better relationships. So, if this typically comes true, why not give it a shot?

I thought about this earlier today when I was talking with a former colleague, who is also a current business partner and friend. We were discussing the differences since we left our former employer to what we’ve done since then. It is amazing what an impact what might be considered small items can have in your life when you focus on what you enjoy. And, for me, I’ve been fortunate that I’ve always been in a career that I’ve enjoyed, as I know my parents helped significantly when I was young in making me believe that I could do anything I wanted (and providing me with a variety of experiences from a variety of sports including competitive ice skating to chess class to Indian Princesses so I had some background to support this concept) – there were no limitations (who knew of issues others thought as roadblocks such as being considered a young woman in an operations field?). With that said, I’ve found that I’m enjoying my current situation even more since I have additional time and energy to focus on what I enjoy.

I’ve read quite a bit of research about this topic and seen many examples, and generally, the idea is to focus on what you enjoy, stick to it, work hard at it, continually improve your skillsets (training, education, mentors), and success will follow. It sounds like a simple formula, but it works. The first step is to take a step back from the frantic days to determine what you enjoy. Then, put aside some time to figure out how to focus more on this activity. Of course, with most recipes for success, sticking it out is many times much harder than it sounds. In my experience, this is the step where most people abandon the process. Instead, be determined! Invest in yourself, ranging from training to time spent with mentors, reading, etc. And, continually look for opportunities for improvement – this is the same concept as implementing an aspect of many of the successful operations programs such as the Toyota Production System, lean manufacturing, etc. In this case, it is applied to your personal success.

There is no downside I can think of in giving this a shot – spending 15 minutes thinking about this topic can be more than spent previously, and if it can result in significant improvements in your life, why not give yourself 15 minutes or whatever timeframe is appropriate for you?