Zig Ziglar has a great bit he does on a million dollar racehorse. He asks his audience if they owned a million dollar racehorse, would they let it go out drinking half the night and eat junk food. Of course not. The horse wouldn’t win many races that way.

What a wonderful metaphor for what is about to happen with new years resolutions. We’re all going to decide that we are going to treat ourselves like million dollar racehorses. We’re going to eat better, sleep more, exercise, and drink less. Good, you’ll live longer and be happier.

But what about your company? How does that annual plan you just finished treat your company, your people, and your finances? Does it live up to the million dollar racehorse standard?

I’ve seen a lot of companies sprint into the new year … and then keep sprinting into 2nd quarter … and then fall off because you can’t sprint a marathon. Others tolerate that one employee or partner relationship that is “good” for the bottom line but bad for everything else – especially culture and morale.

So, what is your million dollar racehorse plan for your company, division, or department? What does healthy look like? What relationships need TLC? What if you focused on profit vs. revenue? How can you work smarter and not harder?

Here’s to a happier, healthier, more profitable 2018!