It’s that time of year again… time to resolve to finally get those things done that somehow, we’ve failed to achieve every year prior to date.

For some, it might be losing weight.

For others, it might be getting their books finished and ready for publication.

Still others might finally be ready to make some progress on their marketing.

The problem is: everyone knows that most resolutions are broken by February, if they even last that long.

How do you ensure that you follow through on your resolutions?

Today I’m going to share a neat trick that I learned from one of my mentors, marketing legend John Carlton.

John’s trick is simple, but profound: sit down and write a letter to yourself, but date it January 1, 2016.

That’s right: one year from now.

In the letter, write down all that you have accomplished this year—that is, in the year to come.

Of course, you’ll write it in the past tense, because you’ve already accomplished everything in the letter.

It may sound strange, but the thing is: it works! I can’t tell you why, but I suspect it has something to do with how the mind works.

If you tell yourself that you “resolve to accomplish something,” all you’re really saying is that you’ll try.

But if you say that you’ve already accomplished something, you begin to behave as that (newly accomplished) person would behave.

Let’s take smoking as an example:

“I resolve to quit smoking.”

vs.

“I quit smoking.”

or even better:

“I don’t smoke.”

Thereafter, every time you’re faced with the desire to smoke, all you have to do is remind yourself:

“I don’t smoke.”

Try it, and let me know how it works for you!

And of course, if one of your resolutions is to get your book published, be sure to register for an upcoming presentation of “The Author’s Guide to Choosing a Publishing Service.”

And if more marketing’s in the cards for you this year, check out “The One Way to Market Your Book.”

Happy New Year,

Grael

Grael Norton
Wheatmark, Inc.

PS: This post has everything to do with the power of language. As a writer, you’re a keeper of the flame, so we toast to you in 2015!