How do you successfully set New Year’s Resolutions?

Here are some great tips to help you ensure that your resolution actually makes a difference…

1. Create a Plan

You know the saying: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” And it’s very, very true. Having a goal without formulating a plan is merely wishful thinking. In order for your resolution to have resolve, (as the word “resolution” implies), it must translate into clear steps that can be put into action. Ensure that you have a good plan by including 1) What to do next and 2) What are all of the steps required to complete the goal.

2. Create Your Plan IMMEDIATELY

The first few days of January are a critical time in which you need to harness your motivation. After that, enthusiasm wanes…. so there is a limited window of opportunity to create your plan. So get that pen and paper out…. or switch on your PC!

3. Write Down Your Resolution and Plan

…Which brings us nicely to Step #3. You must, must, must write your resolution down AND your plan. Look at it often; record your progress in a notebook or journal.

4. A Resolution Isn’t Just For New Year’s

Nothing big gets accomplished in a single day. The easy part is to create a resolution – the hardest part is to accomplish the tens or hundreds of tiny steps that happen throughout the year to ensure your resolution is a success. New Year’s resolutions should be nothing more than a starting point. Develop a ritual or habit for revisiting your plan.

5. Remain Flexible

Life has a funny way of throwing unexpected things at us, so expect that your plan can and will change! Sometimes, the goal itself will even change – at some time along the journey you might decide that it is the wrong goal, so continuing along this path would be foolhardy. It’s OK to change the goal, so long as it is for the right reasons.

And finally…

6. Celebrate Success

This is a very important part of the journey. Recognize even partial successes at every step along the way – identify milestones and put these into your plan. Just as a resolution isn’t accomplished the day it’s stated, neither is it accomplished the day you reach your goal. Rather, it’s accomplished in many small increments along the way. Acknowledge these incremental successes as they come.

Wishing you all a successful 2012!

Pass it on – share with as many people as you can – make it their year as well!