For many, the New Year is a chance for a new beginning, perhaps best represented by the baby and the old man, symbols of the new and old years since the time of the ancient Greeks.

The fresh-faced cherub connotes so much promise. But so often, a few weeks into the new calendar, the good intentions and hopeful resolutions start to fade. Change is hard and old habits are stubborn. The future starts to look much more like the old man.

Could this year be different?

Yes. But only if you resolve to make the effort.

Consider the case of Gary Boone. As a young engineer at Texas Instruments in 1972, Boone came up with the idea for a full computer on a chip, later to be called a microprocessor. He patented his invention, and eventually made enough noise to get a meeting with the top computer guru at TI. He explained his idea, only to be met with this response: "Young man, don't you realize that computers are getting bigger, not smaller?"

Resistance to change like that can destroy companies. Gary Boone's big dream changed the world.

Or how about the tale of two Steves: Jobs and Wozniak, that is. They tried to sell the idea of personal computers to their bosses at Atari and Hewlett-Packard. But their bosses weren't interested. So, they started Apple Computer.

Whether it's a new job, a new business or a new whatever, you must be committed to making changes that will bring about your desired outcome. And I will caution, sometimes big changes take a lot more than one year.

But if you don't want this year to look like last year, the time to start is right now.

Start by taking charge of your life. It's not easy, but it is necessary if you want to make this year your best year. You don't have to do what you've always done or what everyone else expects from you. Think about what you really want to achieve and why. Then determine how you can make that happen.

Maybe it's learning some new skills that translate to a new job. Maybe it's formulating a business plan so you can finally be your own boss. Maybe it's working with a mentor to get inspiration or practical advice. Maybe it's just giving yourself permission to take a risk.

Motivate yourself by identifying the benefits of change. Money is always a motivator, but there are other factors that are equally important: job satisfaction, personal growth, marketability, pride of ownership and peace of mind.

Once you decide what you want to do and why, the next logical step is to get started. Focus on one area at a time. Allow enough time to make real, sustainable progress. Change will not happen overnight. But as the pieces start to fit together and you see actual progress, staying motivated will be much easier.

I mentioned working with a mentor, and I cannot overemphasize how important that relationship is. Find industry organizations that match your goals and seek advice. Identify people in your network who can help you connect with their contacts. Share your dreams with people who will not only support you, but also challenge you and encourage you to keep working toward your heart's desire.

Big changes often mean big risks. What if what you thought you wanted doesn't work out the way you thought it would? What if it works out even better? No risk, no reward. Open yourself up to the possibilities. You might discover that you weren't dreaming big enough.

Keep track of your progress. Note every little accomplishment and take stock of how far you've come. If a journal or chart would make it more tangible, go for it. As the saying goes, a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.

Do one thing every day that will get you closer to your goal. Even if it's just reading an article or signing up for a class, be persistent. Developing habits like this are central to making changes that stick. It keeps you focused on the prize. It also sets you up to succeed beyond your goals, because you know what is required for the next big thing.

Jan. 1 may have come and gone, but don't wait another year to get going on your dream. A happy new year can start today!

Mackay's Moral: You don't have to uproot the whole tree to turn over a new leaf.

The Necessity of Accurate Perspective

Perspective has many definitions, one being the ability to understand what is important and what isn't, and another being the capacity to view things in their true relations of relative importance.

Consider this excellent example of how differently people view the same subject in this ancient fable.

Four blind men were asked to examine an elephant and to describe its appearance.

The first blind man felt the elephant's leg and declared that the creature was like a tree.

The second blind man felt the elephant's enormous side and said that it was like a wall.

The third man felt the tail and was positive that the elephant was like a rope.

The fourth felt the tusk and likened it to a spear.

Each man's notion of reality was limited by the number and kind of attributes he had been able to perceive. Four different perspectives, four different conclusions. None of them had enough information to arrive at a reasonable answer. Acting on limited information is one of the biggest mistakes we can make.

Take, for example, the golf ball. For years, golf balls were smooth little orbs. But at some point, perhaps a golfer who couldn't afford to replace his golf balls when they got a little beat up kept playing with them long after his more skilled companions would have discarded them.

These more skilled players might have noticed that his drives always flew farther and more accurately than theirs, despite their superior skills. From their perspectives, that should not have happened given their superior experience. Their only explanation could be the nicks and dings on the golf balls.

You won't find a smooth golf ball in any pro shop now. In fact, modern golf balls have as many as 450 dimples. The rough spots enhance the ball's accuracy and capacity for flight.

I encourage you take advantage of the rough spots you encounter, for they can indeed sharpen your perspective as well as your performance.

Those rough spots often force us to look at other options, to see things from another perspective. They upset the status quo. They challenge our tunnel vision and open new doors and windows. In many ways, they are a blessing in disguise.

As hard as that may be to believe, trust me. I've had to revise my perspective many times over my lifetime. It got easier every time as I realized that what I was doing wasn't working, and maybe I needed to adjust my approach. When I widened my perspective, solutions seemed to fall into place.

Professional development coach Rich Gee offers two exercises to get started on the next step in your life or career. What I like about his advice is that it encourages you to get a fresh perspective on your situation.

First, he says, explain where you are right now compared to where you were five years ago. Tell your past self what to expect, both good and bad. He says this will help you gain insight into what you could have done differently that may help influence your future decisions. Looking back, you will realize that you can survive just about anything that comes your way.

Next, look to your future. Imagine that you are talking to a version of yourself five years from now. Think about where you want to be and what advice you might give yourself. This exercise will help you form a positive vision to work toward your personal and professional goals from a new perspective. George Bernard Shaw, the famous playwright and critic, was a popular philosopher in the early 20th century. Here are some of his thoughts on the necessity of perspective, as cited by Charles Francis in his collection "Wisdom Well Said":

"If a man sees with only one eye, the world appears flat to him, objects and people become mere two-dimensional images. And he cannot discern any meaning in life beyond the crassness of superficial existence.

"If he uses both eyes, he gains perspective and can perceive a third dimension of depth, ideas and activities assume relative importance and value, and he understands that there is no more than one way of living.

"How deep his understanding and how acute his perception, then, if he sees through four or six or seven different eyes, each distinct and yet each focused on the same situation and the same conflict."

Mackay's Moral: When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at often change.

When I was embarking on my "second career," public speaking, I had a little experience under my belt -- member of a Toastmasters group, graduate of Dale Carnegie and a long list of speeches I'd made to community groups and on behalf of various causes like getting a stadium built.

Sometimes, I would speak several times in a day, trying to reach as many groups as possible. My message was often only as good as my voice.

So I did what I always do when I know I can do better: I went out and hired a public speaking coach. As it turns out, the fellow I have been working with is more than a coach. He is just a few ticks shy of being a miracle worker.

I'm talking about Roger Love, who has coached speakers, singers, internet marketers and plenty of folks who understand the power of the voice and the impact it has on careers. His updated version of "Set Your Voice Free," first published in 1999, presents material that helps readers "showcase the best of yourself -- your talents, your passion, your originality, your authenticity."

I was quite fascinated by the anatomy lessons that form the basis of Roger's research and teaching. When you know how your voice works from the inside out and how to best take care of it, your attitude will change. As Roger says, "The human voice is set up to speak or sing 24 hours a day without getting hoarse or strained or creating any physical problems."

That information was especially helpful to me, because my voice is my living. Whether I am delivering a speech, making a sales call, making contacts for charitable or community causes or mentoring future entrepreneurs, my voice needs to be strong and convincing.

He helped Reese Witherspoon and Jeff Bridges find their singing voices when they were preparing for movie roles that required them to stretch their limits. He worked with John Mayer and Gwen Stefani to expand their ranges and keep their voices in top shape despite demanding performance schedules.

Roger's techniques are clearly explained in his book, which makes it simple to practice them on your own. He says, "If you know how to control the pitch, pace, tone, volume and melody of your voice, you can consciously use them to guide the emotions of your listeners and magnify the impact of every communication you have."

He acknowledges that great speaking and singing are not about being the best, but about being unique. "It's about expressing who you are and what's particularly special about you," he says. "If you learn to use your own instrument with confidence, people will open their ears to you and recognize what sets you apart from everyone else."

This updated edition includes techniques he has developed to help people with speech disorders such as stuttering and spasmodic dysphonia.

"True artistry in speaking comes from creating a convincing blend of three elements: what you say, the way you say it and who you are," Roger says.

The real take-home for me is that how I use my voice is nearly as important as my message. We learn how to talk at a very young age, and I suppose we figure out soon after which cute little voices will help us get our way. But through years of school and career, are we really using our voices to generate the best effects?

Roger discusses four key feelings you need to evoke in people to make them like and believe you: happiness, gratefulness, passion and confidence. But his explanations take readers beyond typical descriptions of these emotions. Learning how to project these key feelings will have marked effects on how your message is received.

The impetus for updating his masterwork now is the result of an interesting observation: The advent of television singing competitions and videos that go viral have "changed the landscape for singers, offering them new opportunities ... and opening the public's imagination to the possibilities of where our voices can be."

Coincidentally, he credits the revolution to "The Voice," the television competition that asked its judges to do blind auditions, facing away from the contestants while they sang. The voice alone did the selling, he said. "All of us realized that no matter what you look like, no matter what your age or background, if you can create the right sounds, people will see beauty, kindness, intelligence and uniqueness in you."

Mackay's Moral: How you use your voice speaks volumes about you.