Success comes to those who can understand that difficulties are a part of life. “If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere,” said Frank A. Clark. Whether you’re Katy Perry, Ryan Seacrest or quarterback Eli Manning, you’re going to have problems.

This article from Forbes outlines and expands on the thoughts of one of the greatest problem-solvers of all time, Albert Einstein.

“If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions,” — Einstein said.

His approach may not result in E=MC2, but it can help you in what you do. Plus, who knows?

Happy New Year.

Gaga has said she was bullied in high school, including being placed into a trash can on a street corner. Some people dispute that she was bullied back then, but one thing is for sure: People don’t forget experiences that make them feel small.

It’s an important lesson for coaches long after the New Year’s ball has fallen and the buffalo chicken dip has been put away:

People may forget what you say. They may forget what you do. But they will never forget the way you make them feel.

Said psychologist, Frank Barron: “Never take a person’s dignity: it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you.”

Great coaches know this rule: Correct in private, praise in public. A person who gets humiliated in front of a group may forgive, but will never forget.

“Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect,” said U. Thant, former secretary-general of the United Nations.

The same holds true for teams. It’s easy to praise the best players; it’s another thing to notice the contributions of all. Beware of double-standards. People will see quickly if you play favorites. Respect builds motivation.

Lady Gaga figures to be in the public eye a lot in 2012. It will help your team if you use her every mention as a reminder to treat everyone with respect.

Have a Happy New Year!

It all begins in the few precious hours before Dick Clark comes on TV and the ball comes down in Times Square. With one fun exercise you can create a year to remember.

Just use the Banquet Technique. It comes in three steps.

First, imagine that this time next year you are a guest at a banquet that celebrates your achievements. Imagine what you would like the speaker to say. Be as specific and vivid as possible. What did you accomplish? Who was with you? How did it feel? How did it look? Enjoy this exercise. Hear the speaker. See the look of admiration from others at the banquet. It’s like goal-setting, except that in your mind it has already happened. So visualize as richly and deeply as you can. There is no cost to dream. For instance, if you’re a college football player, picture yourself in the NFL. If you’re in the NFL, picture yourself headed to the Pro Bowl. If you’re an entertainer, imagine yourself performing with Katy Perry. If you’re an up-and-coming comic like my friend Logan Hobson, see yourself on Comedy Central. Seeing such a dazzling future will motivate you

Second, take stock of where you are right now. How far are you from where you want to be? As peak performance coach Dave Cross likes to say, “The road to improvement begins with an honest self-assessment.” New York Rangers Coach John Tortorella asks his players to assess themselves constantly. There’s no point in fooling yourself. This is a private exercise; there’s no one there to judge you.

Third, develop a strategy that will take you from where you are to where you want to be. Here’s a hint: Success is simple. (Not easy, simple.) Usually you can create a great future by identifying ONE thing that you must do every day, then making sure you DO it. If you want to call it a New Year’s Resolution, OK.

Chose the one thing that suits you. For me, that one thing is blogging. For others it may be diet, regular exercise, daily attendance at AA meetings. Give it some thought. Remember, champions identify what needs to be done and make sure it gets done.

To summarize, see the future you want. Assess where you are now. Develop a plan to get from where you are to where you want to be.

Happy New Year!

Others look toward the New Year with hope.

There’s a big difference.

Hoping by itself will never get it done.

Action accompanied by hope offers a better chance.

Edith Lovejoy Pierce said, “We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves.”

New Year’s reminds me of the empty scoresheet just before a game. We fill those pages with deeds. We record what we do, not what we intended to do, planned to do, or wanted to do.

Amelia Earhart said, “Never do things others can do and will do, if there are things others cannot do or will not do.”

Happy New Year!

Well, there’s good news and there’s bad news.

The good news is that your 2010 will be a lot like your 2009.

The bad news is that your 2010 will be a lot like your 2009.

Confused?

It’s really simple. Life is habit, and so, for better or for worse, today will be a lot like yesterday, because the things you did yesterday are the biggest predictor of what you will do today.

If you got good results yesterday, then you should keep doing the same things you were doing yesterday. But if you’re unhappy with the way your life went yesterday, you must fundamentally change the things you do.

This goes for every aspect of your life: Your health, your relationships, your coaching.

Remember, if you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you will get what you’ve always gotten. If you want to change what you get, you must change what you do. And you are the one in complete control of what you choose.

Happy New Year!