How To Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions

The New Year is here and so are your resolutions for the year. As you review your list, observe how many times you’ve transferred the same resolutions into the New Year with a promise that this year you will keep them. Make a real difference this year, don’t commit to keeping your new resolutions; commit to achieving your new resolutions. Implement the following guidelines and you will be on your way to accomplishing your
goals once and for all.


Set Realistic Measurable Goals
Setting realistic attainable goals that are measurable is an important key to achieving goals successfully. If you set goals that are unrealistic and are impossible to accomplish within 12 months, you will be setting yourself up for failure which will lead to disappointment and a lack of motivation to conquer any goals. Goals must be measurable so you will know how much you have accomplished or need to accomplish to achieve your goals. For example, losing weight is a popular resolution; so if losing weight is your goal this year and you lose one pound in January, I guess you’ve met your goal; but would you be happy with the results? Probably Not! However setting a measurable goal to lose 20 lbs. and walk 30 minutes daily will allow you to track your progress and allocate tasks to reach your desired outcome.


Write It Down
Take it out of your head and put it on paper. Writing down your goals makes them
real as oppose to dreaming about doing them sometime in the future. Written goals
are specific and concrete and it allows you to create steps to reaching your goals.
Your written goals should be placed where you can see them consistently. Post them
on your wall, on the refrigerator, in your wallet or in your journal, do not put them in a drawer or notebook where they will be forgotten. Seeing your written goals will serve as a reminder to your commitment to attain your goals.


Take Action Consistently
You’ve decided what you want to accomplish, your goals are specific, realistic,
measurable and written down, What’s Next? You must now take action, consistently.
Start today with one task and continue to complete the task consistently even if you
do not see immediate results. Your desired results will began to take form with
consistent, persistent action. Consistent action becomes habit and it will become
a part of your routine effortlessly.


Visualize The Desired Outcome Daily
Take a few minutes daily to visualize the desired outcome of your goal. Create a
mental picture of what emotions you will experience once your goal is met. If
your goal is earn a six figure income this year, visualize your bank account statement displaying $100,000.00 profit. What does it feel like? Your mental pictures will one day become your reality and you will be prepared for its arrival.


Celebrate Your Efforts
You don’t have to wait until you lose 20lbs to celebrate your success. Celebrate
the completion of daily tasks. If you complete a 30 minute walk today and didn’t eat
the usual late night snack, celebrate. Any tasks completed, self-discipline exercised or time taken to visualize your desired outcome will bring you closer to your goals than you were the day before so celebrate.


Start Over If You Get Off Track
If you get off track (hey, we all do), do not use this an excuse to stop pursuing your goals. Forgive yourself, determine what caused you to derail, improve the
circumstances and start over again. Don’t become paralyzed with past mistakes,
or lack of self-discipline, just keep moving. Each day is a new day to work towards
your goals and get closer to achieving your dreams, so don’t let one day pass
without taking full advantage of the opportunity to become better than the day before.

© 2008 Bridgette Boudreaux