What are your New Years resolutions?

This is the time of year that many people make their well intentioned resolutions for the new year. If you are one of those people, I have thought for you to ponder. Typical new years resolutions usually end up being something like this, I resolve to:
Lose weight
Quit Smoking
Quit drinking to excess
Get along better with my in-laws
Make more money
and so on and so forth...

These are all great ideas but they are missing a critical ingredient to be successful. A written goal. I have in the past lost weight but after 10 lbs., I felt like I accomplished what I needed (I needed to loose 50 lbs.). Had I set the goal at 50, wrote it down, and placed it some where I could see it everyday, I might not still be trying to loose the other 40. I did quit smoking after trying for 10 years but the day I quit for good, I noted my quit date and have kept track of it ever since. I can tell you the day I quit, and approximately how much money I haven't spent since that time (easily two big screen plasmas as of this month!).

When you set goals, you need to do two things before you start. Choose a "realistic goal"! If it's unobtainable you will fail. Second, be specific as vague goals lead to vague results. Third, write it down and place it where you will see it. The reason for that is that most things we need to change are "habits". Statistically, habits take nine months to break or change. This means setting and reaching your goals will require an investment of at least nine months of your time.

My goal(s) for 2007 are still only partially set but it's started. The one I plan to work on the most for the coming year is attainable, specific, written down, and taped at the bottom of my computer screen to remind me daily of what it is and that I need to work on it.

You can meet your goals, be they physical, spiritual, mental, financial, or all of the above if you follow those few simple guidelines. Get started before your life has passed you by and you are wishing you had started sooner and sooner becomes "too late!"

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