“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”―Paulo Coelho

Many people talk about all the things they want to do. But success happens when you follow through with your ideas. Some people complain about having no time or disliking their job, yet they don’t take steps to better their lives. You have to decide what you want, and the rituals you will put in place to get there.

Resolutions and goals are a solid starting point but they only require words. The real progress stems from the actions you take on a consistent basis.

Consider these SIX SUCCESS STRATEGIES to get in the game and create your best 2012.

1. LEVERAGE YOUR WINS

The process of acknowledging your wins helps to build confidence, believe in yourself, and think expansively about what’s possible. A win is an accomplishment that you feel proud of—big or small. If it matters to you and makes you feel good, it’s a win.

Regardless of how amazing or frustrating your life may be, I guarantee you have WINS. Two of my wins include writing my first book, Living in Your Top 1%, and working with three not-for-profits that help underprivileged women. Other wins could include: leaving a toxic relationship, closing your first real estate deal, successfully changing jobs in a difficult economy, calling a friend to start an exercise program, or ordering your first set of business cards. Highlighting your wins and leveraging past successes is one of the most powerful ways to motivate yourself to continue to take action.

Believe in yourself!

2. BE THE CEO OF YOU, INC.™

Regardless of whether you run a company or not, you have to step into the CEO role of YOU, INC. Being the CEO means you make yourself a priority, take responsibility for your actions, and make choices that align with your goals. This includes fueling YOU, INC. so that you can share your best self with your friends, family, and co-workers.

As the talented Director, Tom Shadyac, shares in his wonderful documentary, I am—we are all connected, and what we do impacts the world. We will naturally create a better world by embracing the CEO role for our own life. So the next time someone asks, “What’s right with the world?” hopefully, we can all say, “I am.” The powerful piece is that your choices, energy, and contributions can create a more positive world.

Step into the CEO role for your life!

3. DEFINE WHAT SUCCESS MEANS TO YOU

We all want success. But are you clear on what success means to you? Your definition is dynamic and specific to your values and what’s important to you. It’s much more effective to focus on YOUR top 1%, rather than on chasing THE top 1%. Does success mean building loving relationships? Making a certain amount of money? Buying a house? Volunteering? Spending quality time with your children?

Living your best life is dependent on doing what brings you energy, makes you feel alive and connected, and leaves you fulfilled. It’s not dependent on your status, role, $$’s, or education, as society encourages us to believe. Take the time to continually redefine what success means to you. These are the ideas to put into action.

Live your truth!

4. FOCUS ON A GOAL

“Find a happy person, and you will find a project,” says Sonja Lyubomirsky, positive psychologist and author of The How of Happiness. We all need something to work toward. And do yourself a favor, set a goal that truly excites you and adds meaning to your life rather than setting the same goal you’ve had for the past ten years but have not completed (such as lose 10 pounds). Yes, your goals need to be specific, measurable, actionable, in writing, and have a time-target, but the real movement starts when you go after something that is important—a priority—in your life. Three suggestions:

1. START WITH YOUR IDEAL VISION: What would you love to achieve by the end of the year? Don’t let the obstacles push you off-course and compromise your goal before your journey starts.
2. LIVE IN YOUR STRETCH ZONE: One client, the Marathon Goddess, is running 52 marathons in 52 weeks to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer. This is definitely outside her comfort zone but she’s going for it. When you set a stretch goal you strive for something that you might not have thought possible.
3. TAKE SMALL STEPS: Small steps are the key to building confidence and helping you adjust to the process of change. The Japanese refer to this idea as kaizen, or continuous improvement. Small steps help to avoid all-or-nothing pitfalls and focus on sustainable progress. Even the process of writing a book starts with one word to one page to one chapter. Small steps lead to big results.

Put your goals into action!

5. DROP THE “SHOULDS”

Forget about what other people and society think you should do. If you want to shine in 2012, you’ll need to seek your truth and pursue ideas and projects that you are passionate about. Go after what makes YOU smile. Invest your time and take action on the goals and priorities that make you happy.

Focus on your top priorities!

6. BUILD A TOP 1% TEAM

Surround yourself with people who believe in you and want to see you do well. And, it’s important to spend time with people who YOU think are winners, too. Your Top 1% Team needs to energize and fuel you rather than drain your energy. Your team can include people, books, music, quotes, yoga, YOU time, conferences, and more. Basically, anything that inspires you and helps you move forward with your goals.

Surround yourself with winners!

TOP 1% BOTTOM LINE: Ideas + action form a compelling combo to have a positively positive year. Celebrate wins along the way and always seek out ways to improve, expand your thinking, and take on new challenges. The journey starts by asking, “Am I living up to my greatest potential?”

Alissa is a Professional Life Coach, motivational speaker, and author of “Living in Your Top 1%: Nine Essential Rituals to Achieve Your Ultimate Life Goals”. Please join her for a live workshop in Los Angeles Saturday Jan 21st to achieve your goals in 2012. She works with individuals and organizations to help them think bigger, redefine what’s possible, and get results.  Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. To learn more and to take the Living in Your Top 1% quiz, please visit Alissa’s website or her Facebook page.