For the first time ever, I reveal here my process of transitioning great ideas into great businesses.  May this inspire you to achieve greatly in 2013!

1) I am constantly dreaming of new, successful business projects.

2) I get ideas at all times of day, when I am in the most unlikely of places, and I  record them immediately.

3) I get inspiration when I talk to people, and I listen carefully for hints in my everyday life, because I do not believe in coincidences!

4) I put every new idea into my bucket of “I-wanna-do’s.”

5) I let those ideas sit in that bucket for a while so I can give them great thought and consideration (even as many new “I-wanna-do’s” pile up on top.

6) I remove the “I-wanna-do’s” that eventually fall outside of my “love circle,” will not help me to achieve my master mission, or have major obstacles that will prevent them from becoming a successful reality.

7) I rely heavily on my intuition, or my “gut feeling” about a project’s chances of being successful.

8) I focus entirely on projects that my customers want and that I am genuinely exhilarated about doing.

9) I always share my ideas with trusted business friends or mentors, inviting their uncensored critique.

10) I toss out those projects that do not pass this important test, or I may put them back into my bucket for reconstruction.

11) I create a concise “to do” list based on the “I-wanna-do’s” that have weathered the test of time and severe scrutiny.

12) I strategically prioritize this project list based on a wide variety of personal and business considerations.

13) I visualize and document the highly successful, finished product from the customer’s perspective.

14) I go to my stack of multi-colored, one-subject spiral notebooks and dedicate one project per notebook.

15) I establish a calendar of realistic delivery dates.

16) I may tackle more than one project at a time based on other things going on in my business and personal life.

17) I schedule firm, unbreakable appointments with myself.

18) I enforce a zero tolerance distraction rule and will not answer emails or phone calls when I am in critical brainstorming sessions.

19) I do not let the fear of failure enter my head, yet I will invest substantial time, ink and paper in playing out  “what if’s.”

20) I believe it is better to think of everything that can go wrong in order to create a product that will always go right.

21) I anticipate that my new business idea is already in the marketplace and I research and study anything that is remotely close to mine.

22) I write non-stop, describing in great detail what the end product will look like and then backing into a plan to support that ideal product and experience.

23) I organize, refine and re-write my thoughts so that I can begin creating an action plan to transition my idea from the “I-wanna-do” bucket list to the “done” bucket.

24) I call upon the trusted people “in my pocket” to seek advice and expertise in areas that I am unfamiliar with.

25) I use a simple spreadsheet to create a profit and loss outlook so I can see every possible variable and scenario before I spend a dollar on my new business idea.

26) If I lose interest or enthusiasm for a project, it may go back in the “I-wanna-do-bucket” or not (in which case I recycle the notebook for another project).

27) I pay professionals to create things like artwork that I cannot, or purchase the software or hardware necessary to achieve optimum results.

28) I create a clear, crisp, “remarkable” brand that is easily understood and can be communicated effectively and consistently across all channels.

29) I solicit the critical opinion of my friends and mentors as the product begins to take form.

30) I document a comprehensive launch plan complete with a step-by-step timeline.

31) I never stop documenting new ideas, new concerns and plans for “next step growth.”

32) I remain on edge, monitoring all aspects, anticipating that my original plans will continuously evolve as real-life scenarios unfold.

33) I constantly seek ways to achieve improved efficiency, profitability and achieve higher levels of success and happiness.

34) I express deep gratitude to the people in my pocket who support me and to every customer who buys what I have created.

35) I reach into my “I-wanna-do-bucket” and begin anew!

I know you must have great ideas in your “I-wanna-do-bucket.” Let me help you achieve success, too.  Put me in your pocket, on your team, in your corner!

Stuart L. Cohen, MCC, a veteran travel executive and entrepreneur, is chief motivation officer at Exclamation Points Inc., where he is a speaker, trainer, and business coach. Cohen also is the producer and host of the Stuart Cohen Show, broadcasted on the web at www.stuartcohenshow.com, which provides “enter-training” for travel professionals. He also is owner and operator of ResortForaDay.com, a niche shore excursion company offering commissionable resort passes for Caribbean cruise guests. This column is adapted from one appearing in the October 2012 issue of Agent@Home magazine.