So, all those New Year resolutions were made, perhaps yours included things like “make an effort to work my business”, “finally find a business I like” or something else along the lines of “finally getting around to taking some form of sustained action”?

If things are panning out as planned then I’m truly happy for you, however the vast majority will be finding that one month has all but gone by and still nothing has changed. In most cases, this will be because they themselves haven’t changed. As the saying goes, it really is insanity to expect different results from the same actions.

So, if this sounds like your situation, what can you do to change? Well, you can change your business (this is what most people do, over and over again), you can change YOU (personal development and/or education or you can change what you’re doing (or not doing as the case may be).

Now, just in case you didn’t pick it up from what I said, the last thing I want anyone to do is change business unless you’re 100% it is not the right vehicle for you. Jumping from one business to another is what most people do, most of the time. I’ll give you my opinion on this right now; most “wisdom” says you need to work at a network marketing business for 6 to 12 months. I believe this advice should change to 5 years.

In other words, pick a business with a product you like, with a compensation plan that rewards effort, a plan that’s not too complicated (so you can explain it easily) and make a commitment to work at it for 5 years minimum. At the end of the day, even if you’re working on the basis of this being a part-time income, it is still a business, and it is a very rare business indeed that is an overnight success. At the end of the 5 years, even if you haven’t got the results you were hoping for, I’m willing to bet that you’ll have acquired some great skills that will enable you to achieve success.

It’s a sad thing that network marketing has gained a “get rick quick” reputation, and it is understandable that this is an attractive option to people who need extra income ASAP. I truly wish there was a magic wand that could be waved, however there is no such thing.

So, assuming you’re not going to fall into the trap of changing business, what can be done to change your fortunes? My main recommendation is to invest time in yourself, seek out information relating to skills and personal development – there’s plenty freely available online. I also recommend that people get into the habit of reading books such as “Think and Grow Rich” and “Rich Dad Poor Dad”.

“Hang on!”, I hear you cry, “isn’t this the same advice we hear from the 3 percent crowd?”. Well, that’s a good question, and the simple answer is “yes”. You see, investing in yourself will stand you in good stead, no matter whether you’re in the 3% or the 97%. You will find a lot of invaluable material in the books mentioned. They will enable you to find out more about who you are, and help keep you focused on your business activities, whether full-time or part-time. What I am not assuming is that your goal is to become a multi-millionaire!

This kind of personal development will inevitably lead to a change in what you’re doing, which covers the third option mentioned. I think it should be starting to become clear that it all starts with an investment of time; time to understand your business, time to learn about yourself and your goals, and time to develop yourself in positive ways.

Ultimately there’s not a HUGE difference between the 97% and the 3%, in fact the only difference is often the size of the ultimate goal (e.g. becoming a millionaire versus being able to pay bills comfortably). The thing is, if you’re aiming to be a successful “97 percenter” you can adopt these ideas in moderation, rather than needing to spend every hour of every day trying to be superman or superwoman!

I will leave you with this to ponder; January 2010 is almost done, what will you do from February 2010 onwards to make a difference?