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A Smart Goal-setting Tip

By Jamie Walters, reprinted with permission

As year-end jubilation fades into the reality of post-holiday credit card bills and the same old routine, we make an earnest vow that this will be the year we accomplish the things that make our life bliss on earth. So we ambitiously craft a to-do list that starts with getting fit enough to win the Iron Man competition and ends with being credited for initiating a thousand years of planetary peace. And then we wonder why we set the list aside to fade into oblivion along side the Christmas poinsettia.

Setting New Year's resolutions that we actually (want to) accomplish

To accomplish anything, we have to set goals; and setting realistic and/or meaningful goals helps ensure that we don't set ourselves up for failure or accomplish things that, in the end, are meaningless to us. Here are a few tips to help you set goals that you'll achieve:

Define the goal. What, exactly, do you want to accomplish? This may seem insultingly simple, but you'd be surprised how often people pursue goals that are too vague and can't be articulated, much less accomplished.

Know why it's important (and to whom). The Land of Unachieved Goals is littered with goals that just weren't personally meaningful. Ask yourself why you want to accomplish the goal in the first place, and make sure it's important to you, not just someone else. We're all much more motivated to achieve something that's personally meaningful.

Envision the result. Once accomplished, what does the result of your goal look like? How might you be talking about it? How will it feel? How will your life change once your goal is achieved (and is this acceptable to you)? How will you celebrate your accomplishment? Seeing your goal completed will help you define the goal specifically enough to be achieved and decide if it's something that you want to do at all.

Allow a realistic timeline. Allow too much time, and it'll be easy to procrastinate; put an unrealistically tight deadline in place, and you'll cause yourself undue stress and set yourself up for failure. Sketch out what it'll take and who else you must rely on to accomplish your goal, then allow just enough time to do it.

Review your goal each day. Spend a few minutes in your morning planning and reflection time identifying where you are in relation to your goal and noting at least one thing you can do that day to make progress toward accomplishing your goal. Taking some action, even if small, will support forward-momentum.

Celebrate the accomplishment. Too often, we neglect to enjoy the positive results of our efforts. Buy yourself a mocha (including the whipped cream) or enjoy a nice meal with a friend to celebrate your accomplishment.

— © Copyright Jamie Walters, Founder, Ivy Sea, Inc., reprinted with permission