By Mark Andrew Beach

It’s another new year, and just about everyone in the personal development world is talking about resolutions and goal setting. I suppose I’m no different—except I really do want to share something that can make a real difference in your life.

Too often, when we talk about resolutions, it’s with a laugh and a wink:
“I’ll set a goal, and break it before the ink is dry.”
Others—those who seem to “have it all together”—might last a month before their resolutions fade away.

I used to be the same. I’d make resolutions to get up earlier, read more, write more, lose weight, eat better, exercise, be more productive—you name it. And just as quickly, I’d watch them dissolve into smoke. I’d laugh it off—until one day, somebody made me mad. Really mad.

I was a salesman in a huge organization, and our division president—someone I admired like a father—was giving a motivational talk. What he said lit a fire in me:
“If you want to know how your life will turn out, just look at your sales performance right now.”

I bristled. How dare he? Was he really saying my future would be some kind of cosmic payback for my poor performance in that moment? I not only disagreed—I was angry.

But here’s the truth I didn’t understand then (and have spent 30+ years learning since): he was right. Brutally right.

I’ve reworded his prophecy this way:
The way you do the little things in life is a reflection of how you do life in general.
If you want a glimpse of your future, take an honest look at how you handle the small, unseen parts of your life today.

So let’s test it with a simple framework. Grab a piece of paper, draw a square, and divide it into four quadrants—like a windowpane. Label them like this:

• Upper left: Playing to Win

• Upper right: Playing NOT to Lose

• Lower left: Just Playing

• Lower right: Not Playing at All

Now let's describe what each of these squares or quadrants represent, and as you read, take an honest, even fearless inventory of your own place among these quadrants. I am going to use the game of football as an allegory, but you can use any game or activity that you best relate to as we go over these categories.

Playing to Win – This team’s whole strategy is to put points on the board. They’re relentless, creative, and determined. Their uniforms are torn and muddy—they’ve given everything they’ve got. Even when the odds are stacked against them, their energy says, “We’re reaching that goal, no matter what.”

Playing NOT to Lose – These teams build walls of defense. They fight hard to hold the line, but rarely score big themselves. They’re strong, but cautious. They may stop others from winning, but rarely create their own victory.

Just Playing – These are the showboats. Their uniforms look great, their warm-ups are impressive, but when the real work begins, they avoid risk. They laugh off failure, make excuses, and never dig deep enough to grow.

Not Playing at All – These folks aren’t even on the field. They sit in the stands criticizing the players, second-guessing the coaches, and shouting at the refs. They’re fully invested in “their team,” but never risk anything themselves.

So, here’s the challenge:
Take a fearless look at your life and ask—which quadrant am I really playing in? Are you playing to win? Just playing? Sitting on the sidelines?

Your answer will reveal a lot about how you approach your resolutions, your goals, and your dreams. Write down the effects of your current approach—and what would change if you chose a different quadrant. That, my friend, is the start of your personal development plan for the year.

And if you’re really brave, take this to ten of your friends. Ask them to be brutally honest about which quadrant they think you’re in—and why. The insights may sting, but they could also skyrocket your success.

This year is yours. Go for it.

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