It's Goal Setting Time Again

Yesterday started a new year, which means many people will be looking to make a fresh start. If you plan to set 2016 goals for yourself, there are a few steps you can take to ensure success. Start by making sure your goals are attainable, measurable, and specific to you. 

·         Create your goals. What are your hopes and dreams for the new year? Goals must be something you really want and are able to attain or you are setting yourself up for defeat. State the goals in specific terms. Write down the goals. People who write goals are more likely to achieve them.

·         Break the goals down into specific steps. Large, time-consuming tasks are daunting. It’s easier to work on goals when you can take them a step at a time.

·         Create an action plan so you know where you must focus your energy to attain the goals. Take the steps you’ve listed for attaining your goals and develop an action plan for completing each of them. What is the first thing you will do? What comes next? Take your personal strengths and preferences into consideration.

·         Create a timetable for reaching the goals. By creating a timeline and setting a deadline, you will be able to determine if you are on target to reach the goals.

·         Create a daily to-do-list and copy the steps from your action plan onto it. Prioritize and work your way through the list.

·         Determine how you will hold yourself accountable for reaching the goals. Who will you tell about the goals? How will you motivate yourself? What will you do if you fall short? Don’t let setbacks keep you from achieving your goals.

·         Be positive and flexible.

·         Assess how you are doing periodically regarding the achievement of the goals.

·         Change what is not working. 

It’s a fact that people who set goals achieve more. Why not give yourself all the breaks you can get in 2016? With set goals and enough of the right action, you can achieve your dreams.

Attain Your Goals

It has been said that people who give up on their New Year’s resolutions do so within the first three weeks of the year. Don’t let your goals suffer the same fate and fall by the wayside.
Work on fulfilling your goals by eliminating excuses and taking action to bring them to fruition. Commit the necessary time, work, and dedication to the attainment of your goals.

• Make time to meet your goals


• Find out WHAT you need to do in order to reach your goal(s)


• Find out HOW to do what you need to do to reach your goal(s)


• Enlist help from others who have already reached goals similar to those you want to attain


• Keep reminding yourself that you can do it


• Break down big goals into manageable steps – create an action plan


• Do something today--no matter how minor

Visualize reaching your goal(s). What have you accomplished in the past? How did you do it? How did it feel to have succeeded? How can you use this feeling of success to reach another of your goals?

Putting a New Year in Perspective

I am ending the year with some tips for keeping your life in balance.

• Take stock of your activities to be sure you are spending sufficient time in all important areas of your life--work, family, spiritual, and extracurricular activities
• Renew relationships with relatives and friends you have not been in touch with for a while
• Purge excess belongs and donate them to charity
• Meditate
• Exercise
• Create a workable budget
• Volunteer
• Devote time to your hobby or favorite activity
• Start a gratitude journal and write in it daily
• Read a few good books
• Listen to uplifting music
• Be flexible
• Let go of worries and stress
• Keep a sense of humor
• Share with others
• Establish priorities and eliminate things that do not add value to your life
• Strike negative words from your vocabulary
• Forgive
• Take it one day at a time

Happy New Year!