The classic New Year's resolutions are to lose weight, drink less, get in shape, and make more money. These resolutions are often founded in regrets. Regrets from gorging too much on high-fat and high-sugar foods over the nearly three month holiday period before the year comes to a close. Regrets from not taking the extra meetings with new prospects or not going to the networking luncheon you really wanted to go to.
Here is the problem I have with resolutions. Resolutions are short-lived. Very rarely do you remember what you set as your New Year's resolution at the end of the year. Did you write it down for accountability? More than likely, you didn't write it down.
Having recognized this problem of "I-am-too-scared-to-write-it down-to-hold-myself-accountable" resolutions, I offer this solution. Create tangible short-term and long-term goals for yourself. Instead of setting New Year's resolutions that will last approximately a month and a half, I have decided to set new short-term and long-term goals for myself. The result I hope to achieve by resetting my goals is to never lose sight of what I want to accomplish... really!
I am determined not to allow myself to get caught up in the resolution buzz. Instead, I resolve to constantly update and upgrade my goals and dreams. This means that at least once a month, I will revisit my written down goals. I can add new goals. I can subtract goals that are no longer relevant. I can cross off goals that I accomplished.
The key to staying active and accountable to your own goals are in the big picture. Break down your goals into one big goal for the year with several little goals. Such as, by the end of the year, I want to double my income. What does that look like nine months, six months, three months from now? The written goal is tangible. You can look at it with confidence and know that your "resolution" to stay on the track to success is one that you will surely hit before the year is over.
