Ten Ideas To Help You Keep Your Resolutions Or Goals

Title:
Ten Ideas to Help You Keep Your Resolutions Or Goals

Word Count:
551

Summary:
If you have some resolutions for the New Year or if you set some goals for yourself or your business for the next year, here are some ways to keep yourself on track and focused.


Keywords:
Alvah Parker,attorney,coach,client development,business,career,firm,visualization,marketing action,action steps,marketing plan,business plan,goals,mentor,success,practice advisor,Parker's Points


Article Body:
If you have some resolutions for the New Year or if you set some goals for yourself or your business for the next year, here are some ways to keep yourself on track and focused.

1. Less is more. Have 3 or 4 resolutions at the most. Any more than this will make them hard to focus on. If the resolutions you have can be achieved in less than a year, create others once you have accomplished these.

2. Visualize success. Know what accomplishing your resolution(s) will do for you. Day dream about it. How does it look and feel? Reaching your dream only happens if you are motivated enough to stick with it. If you don’t keep thinking about how much you want it and how good you will feel once you either accomplish it or make it a habit (or get rid of a habit!), you will lose interest.

3. Write them down. Here is another way to stay focused on your resolutions. There is something more permanent about the written page than just having it in your head. Sometimes just the act of writing it down is enough to keep you on track and focused.

4. Tell someone. Have a friend, a mentor, or a coach hold you accountable. Once you tell someone else it is just downright embarrassing to admit you didn’t stick with it. Sometimes we know that is the only way we’ll get it done. Some people are motivated completely by the positive aspect of getting it done and others need the fear of the consequences of not accomplishing it. Both can help you.

5. Post them. Put a copy of your resolution(s) where you see it/them frequently. Just seeing the list will continually remind you of what you are trying to do. Where can you put the list so you see it continually? How about the bathroom mirror or the refrigerator door?!


6. Read them. Say them out loud at least once a day. Make a little ritual of this. Do it at the same time every day. This would be a good time to visualize your success too (2). The more you think about your resolutions the more in focus they become.

7. Take action. Ask yourself at the beginning of the day what one action can you take today to keep you making progress on your resolution(s)? Moving forward one step at a time is what you are after.

8. Hire an expert. An expert can help you to overcome blocks, improve the way you are approaching the tasks or just boost your spirits. Depending on your resolution an expert might be a coach, a personal trainer, a nutritionist, or an organizer.

9. Use affirmations. Create a positive statement that you can use when the voice in your head tells you that you are not going to achieve whatever you are striving for. When you become aware that the voice is telling you can’t do it, substitute your affirmation.

10. Reward yourself. Give yourself something special when you cross a milestone or survive a particularly difficult period in your journey to achieving your resolution. Celebrate successes along the way and feel good about what you have done.

BONUS : Title:
Ten Steps to Achieving your Personal Goals

Word Count:
1130

Summary:
Why should anyone have goals anyway, I sometimes hear people ask. Well there are quite a few reasons, but to put it in a nutshell, goal setting really does help you to plan and when you have a plan you can do something about it and that is what helps make dreams become your reality – putting a plan into action.


Keywords:
Expatriate


Article Body:
Why should anyone have goals anyway, I sometimes hear people ask. Well there are quite a few reasons, but to put it in a nutshell, goal setting really does help you to plan and when you have a plan you can do something about it and that is what helps make dreams become your reality – putting a plan into action. It is all in the doing! The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that would otherwise lure you from your course.

1. What exactly do you want? Define your Goal

Is your goal clearly defined with a specific plan of action? Is it important to you personally? Is it within your power to make happen? Is it something you have a reasonable chance of achieving?

Are you clear about what is important for you in your life? Do you make your choices based on this? Is your goal something YOU really want or is it something you think or you’ve been told you should want?

You can only achieve your goals if you are totally clear on exactly what it is you want.

So… what exactly do you want?

2. How strong is your desire? Determine the Strength of Your Desire

Do your goals inspire and energize you?

On a scale of 1 -10, with 1 being very weak and 10 being “I’d do anything to achieve this goal”, how strong is your desire?

The greater your desire, the stronger your inner drive to action towards that goal.

So… on a Scale of 1-10, how strong is your desire?

3. Have you written down your goals? Write It Down

Have you put your goal on paper and made it official? Did you know that only 3 % of people write down their goals, and of those 3%, 80% of them actually achieve their goals? Are you one of the 80%? Writing down your goal is your declaration that You Want It! Be specific. Place it where you will see it several times a day. So…have you written down your goals?

4. Can You See & Feel Yourself Having What You Want? Define All The Ways You Will Benefit From Reaching Your Goal.

Can you visualize yourself having arrived at your goal? Where are you? How is your life different? What are you doing? How do you feel? Be specific. The more benefits you can envision, the more energized and inspired you will feel and the greater the pull that goal will have on you. See & feel yourself already there. Use the power of that vision to fuel your actions.

So… can you see & feel yourself having what you want?

5. Where are you now? Determine Your Starting Point

What is your starting point? Do you know where you are now, in order to plot the most advantageous & direct course to your destination? With a clear starting point, you can head in the right direction. Making a plan is much like mapping your route for a road trip. If you don't know where you are, you can't know how to get where you are going.

So… where are you now?

6. What is Your Time Frame? Set Timelines & Deadlines

Have you committed to timelines and deadlines? Are you MAKING the time to MAKE the goal? Have you scheduled time to work on your goal and put that time into your diary? Have you prioritized and eliminated things that are of less, or no, value? By doing this, you commit to clearing the way to taking action towards your goal. Schedule actions and then take those actions!

So… what are you committing to do? What is your time frame?

7. What obstacles might you face and how will you deal with them? Consider possible blocks/obstacles and ways of dealing with them.

What possible obstacles will you face? Have you prepared contingency plans to deal with those obstacles? How can you deal with them the most effectively? Forewarned is forearmed.

So… what obstacles might you face and how will you deal with them?

8. What are Your Strengths and Resources? Identify Resources

What strengths & resources do you have that will help you move forward? Who are the people or organizations that will support you? Who is on your success team? How can you improve the skills you’ll need and build on the strengths you already have? Have you succeeded or failed at tasks that were similar to this before? What resources did you use that were helpful before? What can you do to maximize your chances of success this time? What can you do differently? What can you do to motivate yourself to reach your goal? Be your own best resource.

So… what are your strengths and resources?

9. What is Your Plan and What are the Steps? Make A Plan

“A Dream is just a Dream. A Goal is a Dream with a Plan and a Deadline”

Have you broken your goal down into small manageable steps that can be done on a daily basis? Have you identified and time-lined each task that needs to be done? Have you discerned your starting point? What do you need to do first? What structures do you have in place to keep track of your progress? Accomplishing a goal requires taking the steps. These steps, in turn, become habits. What daily habits do you need to create? Big successes start with little ones.

So… what is your plan and what are the steps?

10. Are you committed? Make A Commitment & Believe In Yourself

Are you committed or are you just trying? How many people do you know who have tried to do something and failed?

Say the following sentence to yourself: “I’m going to try to ______________”

Now say “I’m committed to _____________”

Which feels more solid and more likely to happen? To achieve any goal, you need to COMMIT yourself to achieving it. Have you really committed to doing every single thing that's necessary to achieve that goal? Are you committed to putting in ALL the necessary time, energy and money?

Look over your plan and the steps to achieve your goal. Do you believe that you can do it? Do you have any doubts? Are your expectations realistic?

Deal with your fears and expectations of yourself.

So... are you committed? Do you believe in yourself?

Bonus Step: Celebrate

How will you acknowledge the work that you have done and celebrate the completion of each of the steps along the way? How can you use that energy of success to keep you moving forward? Don’t wait until the end to celebrate.

Celebrating each small victory acknowledges your successes and keeps you motivated and focused.

So…Let’s Celebrate!