New Year

Well, it's that time of year again! For most folks, the holidays offer a chance to exchange gifts and words of good cheer with family, friends and colleagues. Many people also take time to look toward their future, thinking about what they'd like to achieve during the coming 365 days and – perhaps – creating a New Year's Resolution to help them get there.

Now, some of us have come to dread this annual exercise in long-range planning. Sure, at one time we made our declarations full of hope and desire. We may have promised that, "This'll be the year I: start my own business; quit smoking; buy a new home; publish my first article; etc. But no matter what we pledged, it never seemed to happen. So, we've finally learned our lesson and stopped making resolutions altogether.

Which is really too bad. Because, if you know how to use them? New Year's Resolutions can be extremely valuable. Let's take a look at how you can reap tremendous benefits from this familiar but poorly utilized custom.

Traditionally, people treat their New Year's Resolutions as dreams or vague desires that they hope will someday come true. In fact, it is precisely this lackluster attitude which causes most resolutions to fail in the first place! You see, you have a choice. You can choose to view you yearly promise(s) as a wish list that "would be nice if it came true," but that you don't really expect to happen... or, you can look at it as a positive opportunity to take action and create what you really want in life. Just understand that the first technique generally doesn't work; the second does.

Okay, assuming that you're interested in achieving results, you must first turn your resolutions into goals. The moment you begin to think of your promise in this light, you will automatically relate to it differently. After all, a goal is something serious, something that you intend to accomplish, something that you have to work toward.

What follows are 12 specific steps that will help you translate your New Year's Resolution(s) into solid, achievable goals!

1. SET GOALS WHICH CALL FOR YOU TO "STRETCH" BEYOND WHAT YOU MIGHT NORMALLY BELIEVE YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH. As Napoleon Hill said, "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." Determine what you really believe you can accomplish... then consider expanding what you think is possible For instance, if you earned $50,000 last year and know that you can easily repeat this success, what would be a real stretch for you? Would it be $560,000? $65,000? Can you see yourself earning $100,000? If so, challenge yourself to acquire this extra amount. There are no limitations except those you acknowledge.
   
   
2. SELECT AN AREA OVER WHICH YOU YOURSELF CAN EXERCISE CONTROL, RATHER THAN A SITUATION IN WHICH CHANCE HAS A LARGE INFLUENCE. For example, a New Years Resolution that you're going to win the lottery would not be effective because you don't directly influence the outcome of the games. You do, however, control the quality of your work, the number of times you call on prospective clients, etc. Focus on these areas and improve your performance.
   
   
3. PUT YOUR GOAL IN WRITING. When you write out your resolution, you'll find that you become much more serious about achieving it. You must also pay special attention to the way in which you write your goals (see steps 4-7).
   
   
4. ASSUME SUCCESS. Avoid saying, "I want to start my own business," say, "I will start my own business."
   
   
5. MAKE IT SPECIFIC. For example, "I will start my own catering business."
   
   
6. MAKE IT MEASURABLE. For instance, "I will start my own catering business, filling out all necessary legal papers, renting a location, purchasing kitchen equipment, hiring at least one worker and servicing my first client."
   
   
7. SET A TIME DEADLINE FOR ACCOMPLISHING YOUR GOAL. Tack on a "by when" to the end of the above statement, that is, "I will start my own catering business... by May 1, 200x." This adds a sense of urgency and immediately puts you into action.
   
   
8. LIST THE BENEFITS YOU INTEND TO RECEIVE BY ACHIEVING THIS GOAL. This is crucial. For instance, will you have more influence in the community? Will your family be more secure? Would you have fulfilled a life's dream? (NOTE: If you ever find yourself growing too scared or losing focus on your goal, take another. Look at what you wrote for this step.)
   
   
9. SPEAK WITH OTHERS INVOLVED IN SIMILAR ACTIVITIES. An effective way to build your confidence when sailing into uncharted waters is to associate with those who have already taken this or similar risks... and survived.
   
   
10. ASK A COLLEAGUE OR FAMILY MEMBER TO SERVE AS A PERSONAL "COACH" to help you keep your resolution. Share your goals and commitments with this person. Report to him or her often and ask your coach to hold you accountable for doing what you say you will do.
    
    
11. VISUALIZE YOURSELF ACHIEVING THIS GOAL. Create a vivid mental picture of yourself (for example) presiding over a tremendously successful catering affair. Imagine your client smiling and thanking you for cooking such an exceptional meal. Allow yourself experience the positive feelings (e.g., pride, happiness, satisfaction) that go along with your accomplishment. The more you can "see" your success in your mind's eye, the more likely you will be to create this success in reality.
    
    
12. ACT NOW. Act on your thoughts now. Avoid putting off taking action because you feel that you need to be better trained or more prepared – this is a form of procrastination. Again, if you find yourself too scared to proceed refer back to step #8 and focus on the benefits you will receive making this resolution.
    
    

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