Keeping New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work, Try This!

Now that the parties are over and we bring closure to another year and decade, people everywhere are making their top ten New Year’s resolution.  It almost sounds like a late night talk show comedy skit, “Top ten New Year’s Resolutions I won’t keep”.  We all have been guilty of it, I know I have.

Year after year it’s the same thing; Go to the gym more, quit smoking, go back to school, start a new business. Every year you make your New Year’s resolution and by March you forgot what they were.

SURPRISE SURPRISE

80% of people who make resolutions break them within the first three months. Surprised? Don’t be.  It feels good to think about changing and growing as a person.  But achieving goals and making real changes takes real commitment.

Nothing but the truth……….

The truth is making resolutions don’t require any commitment or work.  Making and breaking New Year’s resolutions go as far back to Ancient Rome. So don’t feel bad and here are 6 tips for making lasting changes in your life:

Get it in writing: Make a list of goals.  Create goals that are SMART: Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.  Be as specific as possible about all aspects of your goals.  Include how much by what date.  Increase your desire to reach your goals by reading your list of goals every day

Try bite size pieces: Big goals are motivating and inspirational, but most time people end up quitting because they feel over whelmed.  Break those lofty goals down into bite size pieces. Think short term. Ask yourself “What can I do today to create my success?”

Get laser focused: Take one goal and focus on achieving that one goal.  Start small.  By starting small you can achieve a momentum of success.  After you achieve that small goal, repeat this step over and over.

A picture is worth a thousand words: Visualize your goals for success. Jack Nicklaus, the legendary golfer once said he never hit a shot that he didn’t see in his mind first.  Athletes use this trick all the time.  If you find it hard at first use pictures and affirmations or even make a vision board.

Go to group therapy: One of the best ways to achieve a goal is an advanced master mind team.  Surround yourself with people who positively support you and your goals.  If your goal is to loose weight, find someone who has lost weight and ask them how they did it.  Whatever your goal is find someone who has achieved it and success leaves clues.

Take Action:  The difference between people who achieve their goals and those who don’t is action.  Start small and just keep going.  Constantly ask yourself, “What can I do today to create momentum.”  Make a list of action steps that you can take.  Remember not to focus on what you can’t do, but focus on what you can do today.

BONUS TIP: Reward yourself!  Celebrate even the smallest successes in your life. Life is for the living so live it.  Go out and do something really fun and don’t be afraid to try new things.

Achieving goals cannot be expected overnight and you can expect some setbacks.  Be patient and persevere.  Becoming the person you want to become and achieving your goals is a very rewarding experience if you stay the course.

Any more tips? Feel free to leave a tip you have found useful to achieving your goals.  Or if you have a question or comment, please leave that to.  I personally reply to all my comments.

Lets make 2010 our best year ever!