any of us made New Year's resolutions earlier this year. Did you? How is it going now that January has come and gone? Has the thought of working out at a gym or quitting smoking already lost its luster? Or, have you simply given up altogether? If so, not to worry.

New Year's resolutions are doomed to fail for two primary reasons: First, people often declare them on a whim without much consideration for how realistic they may be. Second, a full commitment to them may be lacking. However, some valuable lessons can be gleaned from this annual process.

Instead of setting goals only once a year, set them regularly throughout the year. The beginning of a new month is the perfect time to take stock of your personal and professional goals. For example, if you sell an average of five to seven merchant accounts per month, aim to increase monthly sales by one or two accounts.

Reassess this goal as you go forward. Don't worry if you miss your target now and then.

You can adjust your intentions accordingly, keeping in mind that you're dealing with an average number of sales over the course of a year, not a fixed number.

Another lesson learned from making annual resolutions is how important it is to set attainable goals. You may decide you need to set aside a million dollars to retire comfortably on investment earnings. Short of a miracle, you probably won't get there overnight.

Instead, set up a series of short-term, mini-savings and investment goals you can tackle weekly or monthly. Thus you will gradually work your way toward the long-term goal of a prosperous retirement.

Heads up

If you are part of a work team, a bit of friendly competition can do wonders for achieving business-related objectives. Post a leader board showing individual sales revenue figures for all team members to keep the information readily available.

This openly identifies the sales leaders and is a steady reminder of targets you need to set to join them in the top rankings.

In addition, try wagering an occasional lunch with a co-worker to help maintain your focus on short-term goals: Whoever sells the most accounts in a month, for example, is treated to lunch by the competing team colleague. Another way of keeping your goals in mind is to write them down. The most successful people are the ones who've written down specific goals and have developed a plan for reaching them over time.

A list of goals is essentially a game plan, but it takes some discipline to keep it current. You can do this by writing your goals daily, weekly, monthly and longer-term, reviewing your progress periodically as you check off accomplishments and add new goals.

A written checklist of goals is a powerful, essential and reassuring tool. It gives you a backup plan to serve as reinforcement, build confidence and help you stay on track for the long haul.

Alley oop

After you develop a plan, the next step is to take action. You may have well-defined goals, but without action you'll accomplish nothing. Don't be afraid to jump right in and take the first step toward your first goal.

Arrange your priorities each day so that you devote the most productive hours to the important goals and their related tasks.

Set appointments with potential merchants, or follow up with existing merchants during this prime time every day. You'll benefit from the consistency.

Once you get started, don't turn back. You can revise your game plan at any point. But remember, repeated actions lead to results.

Success breeds success. In the process, never stop learning new skills, and remain forever persistent. Achieving your ultimate goals in life requires complete dedication.

Your professional standing at this very moment and the steps required to achieve the level of success you envision are entirely in your hands. You're responsible for every stage. What you do today - and every day - will determine how far you travel along the road to personal and professional success.

J. David Siembieda has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of CrossCheck Inc., a national check approval and guarantee provider, for over five years. He has more than 15 years of experience in the check services field. He serves on the board of directors for the Electronic Transactions Association and the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. He is the Chairman for the ETA's Membership Committee and is also a member of NACHA's Electronic Check Council. CrossCheck has been at the forefront of check authorization services and technology since its inception in 1983. For more information on marketing check services and CrossCheck, please call 800-654-2365 or e-mail dave@cross-check.com.