Our 2007 top five resolutions

February, the second month of the New Year. We've finally narrowed it down to our top five New Year's resolutions:

We have pretty much given up on the idea that there's some magic formula for acquiring whatever it is our hearts' desire at any given moment. Truth is, there isn't a magic formula or pill that will help us be successful at making money, losing weight, growing a business or any other number of improvements we'd like to implement in our lives.

After one of our late-night discussions at the "Round Table" with some of our more entrepreneurial-type friends, we reached the conclusion that to create success in any area of your life, you have to put the strategies you've learned along the way into action as well as being determined and persistent.

Amazingly enough that night, someone at that Round Table was actually able to quote Calvin Coolidge who so wisely said, "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

This year Chocolate Milk, at the tender age of two, seems to have gotten the hang of the crawling and walking stages all "baby" companies go through and now we are determined to try our new found wings as we see ourselves reaching for new goals. We figured it's time to see what we really are made of and put the courage and the wisdom we have learned into action.

How many small retailers have crossed these paths before us with butterflies in their stomachs and still are around to share their growth stories? How many are not? We are now quickly gathering all of our much needed tools and along the way, adding a class on Business Strategy 101, Beginners Chess and a quick stop at Ms. Katie's Charm School for extra credit.

Here is a tool we would like to share with anyone who finds themselves in our shoes. There are four little words that have become our personal mantra, and a bit of a driving force. These four little words are — what can I do?

Yep, that's it. Four of the most powerful little words we use daily. We all know that for any given problem or situation there are choices. We can either ask "Why does this always happen to me?," or we could say, "Why does this have to happen now?," or we might ask "When will somebody else do something about this?" Or, we could ask "What can I do that will turn this situation around?" "What can I do that will stop this from happening?" "What can I do to take action right now?" "What can I do to get me one step closer to my goal?"

Lately it seems that whatever the challenge, we have gotten closer to the right answer just by asking a better question. Cool, huh? We thought so, too. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that make all the difference, combined with some deep breaths and that special "emergency" hot cup of Chocolate Milk.