With proper motivation and the will to change, you can be the exception to this trend. The trick is to turn your optimism for the New Year into concrete actions. Once you start a routine, it becomes easier to follow through.

Whether you’re making multiple resolutions or wanting to work towards one bigger goal, be sure to pick something that’s achievable within the year’s time frame.

Set Achievable and Clear Goals

Strive for making your goals achievable so you don’t set yourself up for future failure. For example, let’s say your goal is to lose weight. Determine where you stand currently, and then give yourself a goal that can be achieved following the 1-2 pounds per week guideline.

You’ll also benefit from making clear goals. Rather than saying that you want to be thinner, say how many pounds you’d like to lose. Then define the “how” as well. Are you going to follow a specific diet? How are you going to cut calories? Are you going to start a moderate exercise routine? How often?

With a clear, achievable goal and a set plan of tasks you know you can complete, you virtually guarantee your success! You know exactly what you want and how you’re going to get there. All you need to do now is take action.

Take Action

Taking action is usually where people tend to run into some trouble. It’s easy to get pumped up about an idea, but when it comes down to executing your plan, you might be tempted to fall short.

In this situation, you only need to muster up the energy to start. Tell yourself that you’re going to stick to your new plan for one week and then evaluate how it went. On the other hand, if you take everything in all at once, you’ll be less likely to begin in the first place. If it looks overwhelming, just focus on the short term.

Form a Routine

The reason you want to take baby steps at first is because once you form a new routine, it’s actually easy to hold yourself to it. Some say that it takes as little as two weeks to get a new routine engrained in your brain.

For example, in the weight loss scenario, starting an exercise routine can be especially grueling if you’re out of shape. The first two days can leave you tired, sore, and weak. That doesn’t sound like fun at all! However, those first two days are the worst you’ll endure. After your routine is built, you may find that you look forward to your exercise sessions.

Reward Yourself

Reward yourself often for your excellent efforts because you deserve it for working hard to change yourself for the better. You don’t need to wait until the end of the year to treat yourself.

Break up your goals into smaller pieces and every time you achieve a milestone, give yourself something that you enjoy. It could be an item you’ve been wanting or maybe a night out on the town.

Rewarding yourself for a job well done motivates you to keep going!

Do It Again!

After your first successful year of bettering yourself through New Year’s resolutions, you can then repeat the process and work on another aspect of your life. Before you know it, you’ll be a perfectly happy and healthy person because of your awareness, perseverance, and hard work!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Marriage is a bond that no one can break if you have built it upon a solid foundation. Throughout the time that you are with that person before you get married, you are steady building a foundation for your marriage. Over the time you are together, you build your foundation out of trust, honesty, and love. Once you get married, you are able to build onto that foundation that you have set as a couple.

You may notice that the list of goals that you have may be endless so I am going to list a couple of goals that I think a husband and wife have together.

1) To get along with one another…
2) To be honest with one another about everything, and keep no secrets from the other person…
3) To have a steady home, so that you can raise a family.
4) To have a great paying job so that you can support one another…
5) To have children so that you will have someone to show how much you cared about one another.
6) To raise your children the best you can in a positive in environment…
7) To watch your children graduate and go through college and make a life for their selves…
To eventually watch your grand children grow up.
9) Finally yet importantly, you want to remain together throughout your entire life.

The goals that I have listed above may be a little different from yours, but that is okay. Every couple’s goals differ from one another because no one is alike. Some couples may want to get married and others may not even consider getting married. It all depends on what goals you have in life. Since I have told you what goals I think that a couple has, let me go over a few with you so that you can get a better understanding.

Most couples have their little fights where the other one gets mad at the other and they don’t talk for a while. This is very normal for a couple to do however, you may want to say what you need to say and put it behind you. Some couples continuously fuss over the same thing repeatedly and you shouldn’t do that. It is not good to hold grudges against someone because you never know if you are going to get the chance to say I am sorry.

Trust is a major factor in a relationship, if you have no trust for the other person it will never last. The reason I say this is that as long as you throw something like that in someone’s face the person is going to do it just so the person can say you made me do it by accusing me of it. That is the number one excuse that I hear everyday, he accused me of it so I done it or she accused me of it so I done it. This isn’t the way to go, if you are, having a problem with the person you are with you should let them know so that you can resolve it or go your separate ways.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Writing statements could not only help goal realization to come to the front, it can also help you build qualities that are necessary to reach goals. To help you develop qualities while working toward goal realization we can consider a test.

Try not to panic, since this test is simple. The test will compose of “I will” and will score according to your answer.

Test Score:
1 Point per statement: No, I never do this, or rarely is this true of me
2 Points per statement: rarely is this true
3 Points per Statement: the statement is true sometimes or at most half of the time
4 Points per statement: this is true most times
5 Points per Statement: this is true most all times, or at least the majority of time
Put a 1 to 5 in the box to the left, thus the first series of test is for motivation. The second is time, and memory.

Motivation Test:
____ I review my goals daily and feel motivated as I consider the details.
____ I know what I want from life and my goals
____ I take pleasure in learning new ideas and seeing how they apply to my goals
____ I take great interest in tasking high-priority efforts to achieve my goal
____ I put the low priorities to the back and work on the most important issues first
____I am happy of my efforts already completed to achieve my goals
____I am happy with my progression to move ahead
____I am in control of my life and thinking
____I control my financial situations and have a budget setup to reach my goals
____I am excited at the goals I set for self and assure that I can reach the goals
____I am clear of the path leading to my goal

____Total Score Points for Motivation.

Time Test:
___On occasions I improve my goals, both long and short-term goals
___I use resources often to achieve my goals
___I have a support team to help me reach my goals
___Each day I plan to reach my goals
___I have a work schedule, which includes activities, vacations, family time, and the like
___Each day I place priorities at the top of my schedule to complete first
___Often I review my plans to look for potholes
___I plan my activities, entertainment and recreation time around my goal plans
___I adjust my timing often to make room for my plans and goals
___I work a daily plan to make time for all demands in my life without interfering with my goals

___Total Time Scoring

Memory Test:
___I have the ability to relate with new ideas from my experience, learning, etc.
___I am self-assured and confident that I can recall or remember details of my goals each day
___I have ability to ponder or brainstorm when I cannot recall details
___I can remember names
___Important information is easy and clear for me to remember
___After reading, listening, hearing I can recall and remember details and can summarize the details
___Under stress I can remember what to do
___I employ tactics that help me each day to remember

___Memory Test Scoring:

Now add up your total scores and review the information. As you review the information, consider areas you can improve. Once you review, analyze areas that you will need resources to improve your scores. Each week take the test again to see how much improvement you have achieved. Acknowledge the information to see how building abilities, skills, and qualities can help you reach goal realization.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Importance of Visualization

The goal starts from within. You need to have full desire and passion over the things that you want to achieve. This way, you will constantly store the thoughts and ideas in your mind that will lead to success. If your desire is weak, the results and the paths to success will also be weak or delayed. The primary step is to create dreams. You may take a pen and paper and list down the items that you want to do.

Visualize yourself being successful in your objectives. The attitude of the mind is highly important to subconsciously control your actions towards the achievement of your set goals. You can keep pictures of things to help you visualize. Try surfing the internet and look for the right images that will put you on the right track. You may want to consult a professional to help you visualize if you have difficulty.

Creating Your List

Next, you need to create a list to achieve your goals. It is vital that you create the action steps that will ultimately lead to your main goal. For example, if your goal is to get rich, you have to set steps such as saving money, investing, working extra hours, building connections, etc.

It is always recommended to make your list more specifically, such as writing down “To earn 1 million dollars”, instead of just “Being rich.” You should also be specific about the action steps. You can write down “Save 10 dollars everyday”, instead of just “Save more”. You should also create a time line wherein you can finish tasks right on schedule. You will avoid the hindrances if you push yourself more by setting deadlines.

Think of Benefits or Consequences

Aside from writing down the list of your goals and action steps, you will also want to include the advantages and consequences once you reach them. For example, you can put “Buy a new Ferrari”, “Managing my main office nemesis”, etc. These specific advantages will motivate you more. You can also include the consequences should you fail or delay by writing down things like “Lose my house”, “Disappoint my wife”, etc.

The Right Attitude

You need to have the right attitude that will help you stick to your goals. The most important are consistency, patience and discipline. Consistency describes the work you put in to achieve the results you’ve always desired. Patience talks about waiting for the right opportunity and persevering despite some disappointments. Discipline means giving up some immediate gratifications so you can get bigger and long lasting benefits in the end.

You can practice the right attitude by talking to very successful people and finding a partner who can motivate you during times of trouble. It is important that you check your list every now and then and make the necessary adjustments over time. Changes may occur but you have to stay with the goal, even if the plan is flexible and altered.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts,
liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.”
Andrew Carnegie

The following techniques when consistently applied are guaranteed to create your dreams and build the life you’ve always wanted. Be specific and realistic. These are the same principles I applied in early 1995 when I desired to enter the speaking business. At the time, I was a bit skeptical and wondered if these techniques would really work. By 1996 I was traveling to Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales as an international speaker. The point here is not to brag. My point is that if you will diligently practice the following affirmations, visualizations, and action steps… you can achieve your dreams. The first step is to believe. Believe that you can do it.

When writing down affirmations for your goals, start with different colored index cards. Green for career and financial, yellow for health and fitness, pink for relationships, and blue for spiritual goals. Using different colors sends a signal to your brain that you’re setting goals in various areas of your life. Do not have more than nine affirmations or goals for all categories total at any given time. You don’t want to become overloaded and give up before you’ve begun.

On the front of each index card, write the 2 words “I am.” These are the 2 most important words in the English language when writing affirmations. Make certain each affirmation incorporates the “3 P’s.”

You want your affirmations to apply to only you because you cannot change others. Thus, you would not have an affirmation stating, “I am enjoying my daughter’s clean room.” You don’t know if your child will clean it to your specifications. You could write, however, “I am enjoying that my bed is made and my room is clean every morning.” You have control over making your bed and cleaning your room every morning. Also, make them in the present tense.

How would it feel to already have accomplished that goal? By keeping it positive, you also give your mind a “steering wheel” for the direction you want to go in. For example, you would not want to write, “I am enjoying no longer eating desserts.” What you could write, however, is “I am enjoying eating one dark green salad per day.” Or, “I am happily enjoying drinking eight glasses of water a day.” Your mind now has direction.

After starting with “I am,” include a “feeling” word and an “action” word or verb. This is vitally important as the feeling generated helps you achieve your goals faster. Examples of feeling words include happily, easily, peacefully, joyfully. My affirmation in 1995 for getting into the speaking business was, “I am happily conducting seminars all over the world.” The action word “conducting” in the present tense assisted me in how it felt to already be doing that activity.

Be specific with your goals and include action steps. Also write a deadline under each affirmation. By what month and what year do you want to have achieved that goal? On the front of the index card below the affirmation I also wrote, “England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas” because these were the places where I wanted to speak! I kept these green index cards on my nightstand, in my wallet and on my bathroom mirror. The reason…your subconscious mind is most amenable to suggestion first thing in the morning, and last hour before going to bed. I would see this positive message first thing upon awakening and last thing before retiring at night. After a week, my mind started coming up with “action steps” for how to achieve these goals. These steps were written down on the back of the card. I began to take action steps, such as producing a training video speaking in front of a group, and visualizing success. By December 1999, I had conducted seminars and breakout sessions for conferences in all these locations. Six countries to be exact.

Look at your affirmations and goals at least twice a day. Close your eyes and visualize them as having already happened. What would it feel like to already be successful at having your own business? What would it feel like to look out at St. Martin from your balcony on a Caribbean cruise? How would you feel as you’re walking down the aisle to your soul mate?

Have the right attitude. Believe that you can achieve your goals. Hold yourself accountable and get rid of excuses for why you can’t accomplish something. A word of caution here: be careful with whom you share your aspirations and dreams. The key is to surround yourself with supportive people. Lastly, have an action plan and take action. Goals are nothing without action.

—————————————————————————–

Colleen Kettenhofen is a Phoenix, Arizona motivational speaker, trainer, & co-author of “The Masters of Success ,” featured on NBC’s Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. For free articles, video clips, and e-newsletter, visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com. Colleen’s area of expertise are leadership, managing people, life balance, difficult people, presentation skills. Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

No matter how much effort you make, if you do not have direction, you will be wasting your energy. How can one have direction without a goal? Goal setting is important because it is the first step towards a journey. Goals gives directions.

As we mature in life, our goals get bigger and more ambitious. However, we still set goals. Goal setting is an inherent part of life. It answers the question of purpose. It tells us why we have to live, if only until the next day.

As mentioned before, goal actually gives us direction. For without goals, where would we direct our efforts to? Goal setting is the key and essentially gives us the first step in our individual journeys.

Think of it: When you set a goal, you try to follow the most direct route towards it. So you take the first few steps towards achieving that goal. In setting a goal, you will always have the first step. However, in life, we encounter little detours. Sometimes, in order to reach our set goal, we must first accomplish another one.

Goal setting is the key to achieving success in life. If you set goals, you will be able to know which steps to take. Setting goals does not mean you make a list on what to do or what not to do. That would merely be the semblance of goal setting. True goal setting involves commitment.

In true goals setting you need to be able to put your heart into it and commit yourself to achieving that goal. From the moment you set a goal, every effort you make will be directed towards the achievement of that goal.

Goal setting is important in life because it allows you to measure yourself. Nobody knows why measuring one’s self is so important. Perhaps it has something to do with self-improvement. Sometimes it has something to do with the realization that you are doing something in life. However, goal setting will allow you to measure yourself by how close you are to achieving a goal. Through proper goal setting, you will be able to see just how far you’ve come and how far you will still be able to go.

Another importance of goal setting is that it allows you to know your purpose in life. Goal setting will prevent you from questioning your existence. Sure, some people find wisdom in questioning the meaning of life, but people who do not find answers to this question often end up in despair.

Goal setting gives you order.

If there is one thing that people seek in life more than food, clothing, or shelter, it would be order.

[ad#co-1-480x60]

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.