New Year’s resolutions ... they can feel terrific when you make them. And then, suddenly there you are – it’s a few weeks into January and now what? The gym is crowded and cleaning out that closet over the weekend is no more enticing than it was in December. Especially with the NFL playoffs so intense and surprising this year!

Here’s a suggestion to kick off 2011 that is more appealing and will also advance your career.

Think of five to ten people you’d like to take to lunch or dinner this year. That’s it. Not more complicated than that. Except of course, you have to follow through and actually extend the invitations.

The key is to make an actual list of contacts who can mentor you (or you can mentor), or who you consider to be winners, admire or enjoy spending time with for whatever reason. Calling, Skyping, emailing, texting, Facebooking…nothing can replace the old-fashioned breaking of bread together. Not for me at least!

So…

Is there a former colleague you’ve lost touch with inadvertently, who is now in an interesting new field? What about a college or business school classmate who sent you an email awhile back? How about that guy in another department who you are on conference calls with all the time, but have never spoken with face-to-face?

This is the perfect time to reconnect. You don’t have to plan everything for this month. It’s a great idea to spread out the meetings over the year. People are busy. They may have to cancel once or twice. Or, they may be based out of town, so you want to plant the seed about scheduling time for you on a future business trip.

As an executive consultant and coach, it is often ironic and a challenge to walk one’s own talk. In fact, I thought of this blog entry while reading my own quote in an MSNBC.com article Looking for a job in 2011? Here’s how to stand out.

It’s always striking to read one’s own words weeks after an interview in a different context. I realized focusing in on the people you really want to spend quality time with isn’t just about job search, it’s about career and life enhancement.

So, yes, I started my own list and am proud to say, I have the first lunch on the calendar, with a dynamite executive I haven’t seen in well over a year. Now … time to schedule the next one. If you have any questions or thoughts, please contact me and share them.