How is that New Year’s resolution going? If you made the “R” word and your answer is already, “What New Year’s Resolution?” don’t feel bad.

Nearly 75 percent of Americans have already abandoned that start of the year goal. So the odds are against us. But we do ourselves no favors.

We all like to dream big.

It’s fun and it’s easy.

But when it comes time to put in the blood, sweat, tears necessary to realize those dreams, we all too easily settle into the daily grind and fall back on our old habits. Our fears of failure (or even success) get in the way of our achieving new or big things.

We need to not only dream, but expect that good things will happen to us.

Those individuals still cracking away at their New Year’s Resolutions don’t see the goal as an “if” but a “when.”

The individuals who boast big expectations boast three key characteristics:

1. They consistently seek new opportunities through networking or a simple “Ask. They’re not waiting for it to happen to them, they’re making it happen!
2. They’re outcome-oriented. They know where they need to go so well that they can see and taste that goal. The destination is palpable. Vision. Clarity. Focus.
3. They’re consistently measuring progress. They know what investments are required to meet their goals, and they’re consistently tracking the steps toward that goal. The journey is as clearly envisioned as the destination. And we all know that what gets measured gets managed.

Even though the 1^st came and went, don’t make any excuses to set that Big Hairy Audacious Goal now. Shatter limited thinking by possessing the characteristics necessary to expect great things.