- Under no circumstances attempt to have a sound currency. In fact, continually hyper-inflate.
- Make sure that state-owned enterprises are continually subsidized, with a focus on keeping the biggest ones open the longest
- Take lots and lots of money for foreign aid agencies (the US are the best, those suckers!) but don't have anything to show for it after 20 years
- Continually question "western liberalism" as being not suitable for your country, and that maybe you do need to have a nice and slow gradual transition
- Lurch from political crisis to political crisis, including having a leader that is steeped in the Soviet past. When he becomes too much of a crook, have popular demonstrations to throw him out.
- Have the guy who comes in afterwards turn out to be ineffective and quarrels with other people in his government incessantly
- Allow a Russian apparatchik to come back into power, elected almost entirely by the Russian part of your hybrid country
- For good measure, jail the previous Prime Minister, and don't listen to anyone else who tells you that wasn't a good idea. You know everything, after all.
- Continue to promise the moon and the stars to the people, while spending freely and keeping a huge government
- Listen to everything Russia says - Putin has been in power a long time, he must be an economic genius.
- Renege on international agreements at the last minute
- Ignore the success stories of countries near you (in some cases, on your borders) that started at the exact same time and level as you. You probably know a better way, and besides, Poland is like, an entirely different country.
- Consider anything that will bring you closer to Russia.
- Enact anything that brings you closer to Russia.
- Ignore the riots that result.
- Hope that Russia bails you out.
Sounds like a perfect recipe, one that Ukraine is following to the letter. Ukraine - the country of the future.