What Happened to Your New Year's Resolution?

Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year? How’s it going? Well, if you’re having a tough time keeping your resolution, how about creating goals instead? I know. I know. You’ve heard it all before. Well, I once felt the same way. But actually writing down your goals can have a significant impact on your happiness and wealth. As soon as I started writing down my goals, things happened. I finished a book, met great people, brought in more clients… the list goes on. After all, if you don’t know where you are going, how are you going to get there? With this in mind, here’s a quick list to help you take action:

1. Write down three big things you want to accomplish this year. Keep it simple. Do you want to make six figures? Do you want to spend more time with your family and friends? Do you want to pursue a new hobby? Write down what you want to happen in 2010 now.

2. What do you need to accomplish these three things? Once you know the top three things you want to accomplish next year, think about what it’s going to take to achieve them. Maybe you’ll need 10 new clients to increase your income? Maybe you’ll need to get some training and learn new skills? Maybe you’ll need to say “no” to more projects so you have more free time? Go through each of your goals and write down what you think it’s going to take to achieve them.

3. Get organized. At this point, you have a good idea of the activities necessary to reach your goals. Now, break down each activity into smaller steps so you can accomplish at least one step each day. Next, get a big calendar and write down each of these daily activities. Suddenly, your goal looks doable. Ta Da! You have an action plan! And think how great it will feel when you check off each task at the end of the day. By following this simple process, you’ll end up reaching your goal by the end of 2010. If not, at least you’ve started on the path to success and will be that much closer to making your dreams a reality!

By Melanie Rembrandt