New Year's Resolutions

2008 Plan!

Today is the last day of the year and that also means the last day to make your 2008 New Year's Resolutions. I am not a big fan of New Years resolutions because they are a failed system. Just look at them for a second. We make the same resolutions year after year.....lose weight, get out of debt, read more books, never miss church...on and on. But the fact of the matter is that we are great at dreaming and making up these pie in the sky resolutions; but terrible at keeping them and achieving results. A failed system. Do you remember your 2006 resolutions? Do you achieve them? What were the measurable results? The fact of the matter is that resolutions are just noise and make us feel good about some dream that we know will not happen. What is a better system then?

Goal Setting!

Harvard and Purdue Universities did a joint study on goal setting and found these results:

• 87 % of the people have NO goals at all. (This means over 8 out of 10 people you run into have no direction at all and are aimlessly walking around this world with no clue)
• 10% of the people have some vague goals but they don't follow the rules
• 3% of the people set goals and do the right way
• 3% who have goals and do it the right way earn 10 times as much as non-goal setters.
• 3% who have goals have more money than the other 97% combined

From the insurance statistics: Of 100 tracked in their 30's until they reached retirement at the age of 65; 3 reached their goal, 7 came close, 36 died, and 54 were broke and could barely cover basic living needs. So set goals and do them right (in a system). What is the system? (Let's use weight lose as an example)

• Goals have to first be realistic and achievable. You can't lose 30 pounds in 30 days! This just is not going to happen so don't set goals that can't be reached. It just leads to giving up and excuses.
• Goals must be broke down into long term, medium term and short term segments. If your goal is to lose 30 pounds this year, then break it down into segments by months and weeks for example. You would have to lose 2.5 pounds per month or .5 pounds per week.
• Goals must be tracked. You must get on the scale each week and track the progress. There must be a numerical value or tracking system in place.
• Goals must be reviewed. Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly
• Goals must have accountability. There must be some teeth to this. If you don't hit your weekly goal of .5 lbs in weight lose, then you can't go out to eat at all until you are back on track.

So for 2008, don't set those ridiculous New Year's Resolutions that will never amount to anything. But rather set some goals for 2008 both in your professional and personal life. Once you do that, then follow the system and you will be amazed at what you will accomplish this year! Believe me, you are capable of accomplishing far, far more than you can ever believe if you do it right!

I do this work for my clients and call me if you want to have the best year of your life in terms of goals and accomplishments!