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

Lessons From A Checker Game

This is one of my most favorite articles: Everyday through our experiences (good or bad) a lesson is learned. I love to review my day and journal about my day's lesson.
What was your lesson on today?

Lessons From A Checker Game

My 9 year old son loves to play the board game Checkers. At one time playing against him was a snap, because he didn’t really understand the concept of the game, he only enjoyed the family time together sharing an activity. However, after much practice and a graduate student of “Checker Camp” directed by his father, he became an expert player. The once short checker game became a long competitive checker tournament. One evening as I was losing horribly, my son asked me why I had not been focusing on the game. I replied that I didn’t feel the need to do such strategic thinking and planning. His response became my mantra: “It is a waste of time to make a move without a plan or strategy because the consequence will almost always = loser. Always play to win”!

Do you play to win or are you satisfied with the results from minimal effort and persistence? Do you plan your day? Is there blocked time on your daily schedule for action items? Do you have a big picture goal with small reachable daily tasks that will lead you to the bigger picture? Are you spending your days confused about what to do next? Do you operate from a strategic action plan?

If you responded NO to any of the above questions, stop wasting time and play to win.

Incorporate these strategies in you routine to win:

► Always Plan Your Day, Preferably The Night Before

► Develop A Strategy To Get The Results Want

► Visualize The Big Picture

► Complete Daily Bite Size Tasks

► Stay In The Present, Focus Only On The Work At Hand

► Rejoice In The Small Accomplishments

► Create A Successful Environment



Winners do what those who lose do not want to do!