Guest post by Cass Mullane, Creative Innovator, Right-Brain Business Plan® Licensed Facilitator, Prosper Creatively, LLC

Whatever form prosperity takes for you, I’ll bet many of you looking at what happened last year and what you’d like to see happen in the next 12 months. Here are some tips to help that process:

•Take a breather. Give yourself some grace and breathe. Think about all the wonderful things that have happened this year and express your gratitude. Be sure to include the lessons learned as well, for they all have value in shaping what’s to come.

•Give yourself a change of scenery. When you take yourself to a place that is different from your normal workspace you break your routine. This allows your brain to get out of its regular neural pathways and you think differently. You become open to possibilities and you see your world through fresh eyes.

•Do a ‘Stop-Start-Continue’ exercise. One of my favorite exercises I do during the year is a ‘Stop-Start-Continue’ exercise. I learned this tool when I worked in corporate, and Jennifer Lee has beautifully incorporated it into her Right-Brain Business Plan® activities. Take time to identify which activities you want to Stop doing, which activities you want to Start doing and which activities you want to Continue doing. Then take the steps necessary to make it happen.

•Be honest in your assessment and in your expectations. When planning for the next 12 months, be honest with yourself. Stick to the facts and try to keep your judgment and emotions out of the equation. Don’t be too harsh on yourself, yet don’t sugar coat reality. Just look at the facts and make your plans based on them.

•Think Bigger. When making plans, I like to say, “add a zero.” This means, if you want to make $1,000 per month, take a little time and look at what it would take to make $10,000 per month. The simple act of thinking bigger puts you in unfamiliar turf which, if you let it, will open your mind. Your brain is there to help you solve problems and is waiting to answer questions. Why not ask it to figure out how you would go about bringing in more to your business?

•Manage your Mind Monkey™ chatter. When you start thinking Bigger, your Mind Monkey™ will likely start swinging around in your head spouting a plethora of reasons why you can’t or why you shouldn’t think Bigger. Remember that you’re in charge of your thinking, not your Mind Monkey™, so throw it a banana and continue to spend time figuring out what playing Bigger looks like.

•Take your first step Now. Don’t wait for tomorrow, next week, next month or next whatever to start. Begin TODAY and take that first step. Set the tone of doing it Now and you’ll find that procrastination may start taking a back seat to action. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

•Fill your Cool Stuff Jar® all year long! Need I say more? The simple act of acknowledging the cool stuff will put you in a good frame of mind throughout your day.

Here’s to a prosperous year!

©2019 Cass Mullane – All rights reserved

Like many great innovators, Cass Mullane has the unique combination of being a strong creative as well as a strategic thinking MBA. After departing the corporate world in 2004, Cass built a thriving business and personal coaching practice that focuses on accountability and solid business skills for right brainers and creatives. She specializes in helping you tame your Mind Monkey™ while enjoying healthy doses of creativity and play in your business and your life. Tapping into this whole-brain approach has helped to make Cass a highly valued coach with an international clientele.

Cass’ new #1 International Bestseller, The Cool Stuff Jar: Three Simple Ways to Live a Happier Life, is available on Kindle! You can also follow Cass on Facebook!