As my corporate and individual coaching clients know, while I believe in designing challenging and innovative action plans to achieve a myriad of aggressive and achievable business and personal goals, I ask my coachees not only to create powerful visions of “what” they want to accomplish and sustain but also ask them to consider “who” they will be when they have engineered their success. Philosophers, psychiatrists, coaches, and other success professionals have long professed that life satisfaction stems more from how we view ourselves and our world then from our achievements. And I concur.

Over the last two weeks, as I have recuperated longer than anticipated in Las Vegas from some nasal/sinus surgery, I have had a lot of time to ponder the past year and set aims for 2008. While I launched a lot of “things” in 2007, from business ventures to an engagement, I am perhaps most proud of who I have worked steadfastly to be as a coach, trainer, educator, partner, friend, and citizen. Now, I’d be lying if I said that I don’t have a nice laundry list of aims to accomplish during each quarter of 2008, but I am 100% transparent when I share that my means for assessing success is not simply to see if I achieved what I set out to do. Coupled with measuring what I accomplished, I plan to have provocative answers to such questions as-

•Who have I evolved into to accomplish the goals I set for myself?

•How have I modeled my beliefs and values for my colleagues and clients?

•Who have I been as a citizen to my local, national, and international community?

•Who do I need to be to continue to leverage my talent and resources for maximum personal and social impact?

My charge for my clients, colleagues, friends, and family in 2008 is to encounter the inevitable challenges and daily minutiae of living in an affluent, western society with optimism, humor, and generosity. How can we frame inconveniences as “opportunities to build resiliency and cultivate an ‘I can’ attitude?” Frustration, agitation, and ennui are learned, maladaptive techniques that can be replaced by creating, practicing, and setting such new habits as thinking ‘yes’ rather ‘no,’ taking a deep breath before responding, and recognizing that although we may be entitled to our emotions they do not always serve us well.

I know that for many of us, accomplishing such a charge might entail a lot of practice (notice that I resisted the temptation to say ‘hard work’). But who would you be if you laughed more, suffered less, and felt at peace at the start and end of each day? And who would you need to be to actually be that person on a consistent basis?

For those who want a token to help them stay focused on becoming who they aspire to be in 2008, I implore you to pick up a Staples Easy Button. All proceeds up to $1 million benefit the Boys & Girls Club of America. And at the moment, I can’t think of a better way to engender a sense of ease and levity for life than pushing a button and hearing “That was easy” each and every time I feel my breath shortening, my muscles tightening, and my glass looking more empty than full.