Thoughts about the New Year's Resolutions

Every year, myself and hundreds of people make what we call "New Years Resolutions". However, by February, most of these goals will have been forgotten. I think that this is beacuse they do not have a plan in place to help them achieve their goals. Goals like "I will quit smoking" or "I will lose weight" or even "I will write more" can be faulty from the beginning.

The Basics of Goal Setting

1) Measurable. You need to know when you have reached your goal. If you want to lose weight, set a goal weight. If you want to write more, set an amount of time that you will write. Set a word count quota. Anything! This is so that you will know when you have reached your goal. Here's mine: For the month of January, I will write five days a week for at least thirty minutes.
2) Achievable. For me, writing five hours a day is not achievable right now. Hopefully it will be in the future, but not for the month of January, at least. Losing five pounds a week is not achievable. Two pounds however, is.
3) Positive. Do not make your goals "I will not" (ie: I will never eat cake again!). Instead, make them a "I will!" (ie: I will exercise three times a week)
4) Specific. Fuzzy goals will get you no where. Like I talked about under measurable, they need to be something concrete, not a ghost floating in the mist.
5) Scary. Your goals need to push you out of your comfort zone and into a new realm of discovery.
6) Have a Plan. Make sure that your goal is backed up with a plan. If you goal is to write thirty minutes each day, ask yourself "why am I not already doing this?". In this way, you can anticipate road-blocks before you even hit them. Is it beacuse I don't have an "alone space" to write? How can I create said space so that I have NO EXCUSES to complete my goal?

Some other thoughts on Goal Setting:
~ Write your goal on sticky notes and stick them anywhere they might be seen. It pays off to remember them!
~ Brag about your goals to your family, friends, on your blog, where ever! You'll be more motivated if people are cheering you on.
~ Remember, baby steps! You won't reach the goal all at once, so take small tiny steps towards your goal.

I'll post my New Year's Resolutions tomorrow!

Cheers!
L Finch