Happy 2012! Now that the holiday festivities are past us and we're back to work, the natural tendency is to turn your attention toward the coming year. What will you do differently? What will you approach with more boldness, more enthusiasm or more compassion?

There are as many goals and fresh perspectives as there are people, but if you're looking to make a shift that really produces change, here's a suggestion:

Be more open.

Opening your mind to the fact that you can learn from ANYONE and ANY situation will prove to be one of the most profound changes you can make in your life. A closed mind results in missed opportunities for growth, both personally and professionally. When you have rigid expectations of how you think things SHOULD happen or who SHOULD be the person you need to connect with, you're working against yourself. Maintaining an open mind about who can help you, where you find inspiration or how something should be done leaves room for the unexpected. Maybe it's a chance meeting that develops into a profitable business connection or discovering a new way of looking at something from your 7-year-old nephew – these are things you miss when you're too rigid.

Having an open mindset is especially important for business owners. When you're not open, you can literally block new business from coming your way. I have experienced this many times, either because I had a personal situation to deal with, or because I was experiencing doubt or confusion about how to move forward. As soon as the obstacle was gone, I became receptive again and the business followed. One time, following a few months of feeling less-than-confident about my business, I actually had a talk with myself (yes...out loud!) about being ready for bigger and better things. The very next day, I had lunch with one of my clients. I had planned to pitch a new project to him, but was floored when I was handed a project that was easily ten times the size of the one I was pitching. Coincidence you might say? If it happened once, I might buy that explanation, but I've experienced it enough times to know that there's a direct correlation between my mindset and my outer world.

Some of our closed mindedness is born out of self-preservation and pride. We don't want people to know that we need help, so we gloss over our needs by being evasive or dismissive. What would happen if you openly discussed your desire to explore new career paths instead of telling everyone things were fine at work? Think you'd get some insight or ideas, or maybe make a new connection? You bet. A friend who was looking to take her career in a new direction told me recently about relaying this desire to her pharmacist while waiting for her prescription. He made a call to one of his contacts right then and there that landed her a new job. You just never know who and where your next lead will come from. Don't censor out your needs to give the illusion that everything is perfect or you may miss it.

Letting your guard down and opening your mind to new possibilties helps you grow - as an individual and as a business. Here's a quick list of ideas to keep in mind as you practice being more open:

• Don't make assumptions about who can and can't help you.

• Be open and honest about where you are in your life and what you're looking for.

• Have a candid talk with yourself about being receptive and ready for what life has to offer.

• Take interest in others – you can learn something from EVERYONE.

When we adjust our mindset by adopting a more open approach, we release our need to control the outcome and allow for, as the late painter Bob Ross used to say, "happy accidents" to steer us in a new direction. By staying open, you're paving the way to more synergistic connections, a greater appreciation of others and endless growth opportunities.

Best wishes to you for a year full of open doors and huge successes!