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Kudos to the paltry 14% of us who keep New Year's resolutions. The vast majority - a full 86% - go right back to our counterproductive ways as it relates to personal health, careers, relationships, and otherwise. A fresh, new year is here, and aspiring business women should forego the ever popular New Year's resolution to lose weight and, instead, commit to making (and sticking to) a "Life Plan". Doing so will help balance her "whole life and assure she is ready to take on new workplace challenges as they are presented - and execute them well.

This according to John McKee, world class Business Coach and Author of "21 Ways That Women in Management Shoot Themselves in the Foot", who notes, "Just as in life, when establishing business goals and objectives, one must do so in a long-term context. Attempting to attain a high level of professional success by using the same short-sighted methods that, to date, have delivered only marginal - or no - results is simply an exercise in futility. Norman Vincent Peale said it best: 'We tend to get what we expect'."

To help aspiring female professionals get out of the business rut and kick start their careers in 2006, McKee offers these insights on the value of mission critical Life Planning:

Passivity will get you nowhere. Far too many are not as happy as they would like to be, as successful as they think they should be, or as wealthy as they'd hoped they would be as an ambitious youth looking forward. Not coincidently, very few of us have a personal life plan. Most people simply get up each day, do whatever it is that they get paid to do, and then do whatever strikes them in the moment for their personal time. In short, they let life happen to them as opposed to proactively managing the activities and, often in doing so, the outcomes.

Take the task seriously. However helpful, creating a life plan requires work. Developing this tool can be as hard or as easy as one makes it, and requires a level of commitment to take it from concept to completion. The more detailed your life plan, the more readily you can identify areas of weakness and find actionable ways to overcome them.

Get to know the "real you. Many individuals have outward signs of success such as job titles, corner offices, and expensive homes, cars, and other material possessions, but have little satisfaction with their life overall. They've learned first-hand the age old truth that money does not buy happiness. Before you start making a life plan; make certain that you know what truly makes you happy so that you can steer your ship accordingly.

Cover all the bases. A good life plan takes into account three different facets of life: the professional self - the one who goes out each day to make a living; the personal self - the one who does things which replenish them, for and with those they love; and the financial self - who understands and manages money for the long haul. Addressing each of these life elements assures you will address, think through, and plan for all critical areas that, ultimately, intertwine.

Challenge yourself. The most successful people create goals for themselves that push them to work hard, while still being attainable. They give themselves specific time deadlines which are just as demanding to achieve those goals. Be your own boss…and a strict one at that.

Keep tabs. Like insurance, you should review your life plan after any major life event. Getting married or divorced, starting a family, moving, being promoted, or experiencing significant illness - such events can render your life plan out of date. Since a life plan is one of the most important tools to achieve your goals, make sure it remains current. Don't treat it as a static document, as it's much too critical to be relegated to the bottom drawer. Rather, it's a fluid, continuous work in progress - as are you.

McKee continues, "Over my 30-plus years in the business world I've found that virtually every successful individual I encountered - from corporate executives to government officials to diplomats - had a personal life plan of some sort. Their plan wasn't always written down, but it was always fairly detailed, had deadlines and included clear actionable goals. In short, these individuals had a business plan for their career 'and' their life. Simply put, if you want something, have a plan to get it."

In the spirit of providing ambitious business people with a viable resource that can pay dividends in their upward business mobility throughout 2006 and beyond, McKee is offering a new online one-on-one coaching program entitled "11 Steps to Total Success". This information-packed E-Course helps individuals create and manage a completely balanced life plan covering all facets of life: career, financial and personal. Visit www.BusinessSuccessCoach.net for more information.