As a marketing professional, I'm always singing the praises of having a marketing plan. It's not only because I was trained in the traditional ways of marketing.

After all, I believe that just because you're taught something, doesn't mean you should blindly follow. I think you need to try it on for size, test it and see how it works.

I've done this over and over again with marketing plans, both for my clients and my own businesses, and they never cease to amaze me.

But recently, I've begun adding a special ingredient to my marketing plans.

And, with this new, one-two punch approach, I have to admit I've started experiencing magical results.

Here's how it works ...

First, you create your marketing plan for the year. You know, set some goals, identify some strategies and develop an action plan.

Second, decide on a "theme" for the year. That theme should totally support your marketing plan. In fact, I often come up with the theme first, and then develop the plan.

The theme is what keeps you focused.

For example, in 2004, I established a theme of learning. I set out to be a total sponge that year and learn as much as I could about growing a small business and growing myself.

My focus on this theme brought me some incredible learning opportunities that I totally credit for enabling me to successfully launch 10stepmarketing, an Internet-based training business, when I previously had NO experience in this area.

This strategy worked SO well, I decided to try it again in 2005.

So, I again created a marketing plan, with goals to grow 10stepmarketing's web traffic and my email list.

My theme? Learn everything I could about marketing online, especially how to generate traffic and grow my email list on a shoestring budget.

Once again, this focus led me to learn about strategies like publishing an ezine and article marketing. I got to meet and consult with Ali Brown, The Ezine Queen, and Christopher Knight of www.ezinearticles.com, the premiere article directory on the web.

By the end of the year, I had grown my list of subscribers and my web site traffic substantially by using these no- and low-cost marketing strategies.

Now I'm convinced this "theme" thing works!

So I once again created my marketing plan, this time with a goal to dramatically increase the reach and profitability of 10stepmarketing.

My theme for this year? Partnerships.

And guess what? I'm once again amazed at the power of establishing a theme and setting an intention to make it happen.

So far this year I have met several incredible people who are already helping me create more partnerships and grow my business in ways I couldn't have imagined.

The best part is, I couldn't have dreamed-up that I would meet some of these people ... I didn't even know who they were ... but they are exactly the right people to help me get where I want to go.

Talk about working the EASY way! I LOVE it!

By creating a plan with goals and focusing on one main theme I have been able to achieve magical results.

The people, events, and information I need to attain my goals just seem to magically appear when I need them most. My job? To be open so I recognize them when they do show up, and to simply allow them to come into my life.

This is the power, and the magic of having a marketing plan and a theme.

Why? Because where attention goes, energy flows and things grow.

I'd like to leave you with three questions:

(1) Do you have a written marketing plan for this year?

(2) What is your theme, or major intention for this year?

(3) What three steps can you take in the next three months to support your plan and intention so the magic starts happening for you?

I challenge you to make this the year you start taking steps and focusing your intentions on making your dreams come true.