How to Set New Year's Resolutions That Stick - Part II of III
Don't fall prey to New Year's resolutions that lose their fizzle
before Valentine's Day. Set powerful, meaningful resolutions and
goals that maintain their luster throughout the year with the
next step in the goal-getting process: figure out why you want
what you want.
Simply take a long look at why you want what you want. What do
you stand to gain from achieving this goal? Really visualize
what it will feel like when you have achieved your goal. What
would be different in your life? Would you look at yourself
differently? Would other people treat you differently? Would you
have more confidence? More stamina? More time? Less stress?
When you take a look at the underlying reasons for wanting to
achieve this, you can tap into some powerful emotions to
super-charge your goal. Let's assume your goal is to get in
shape. If you are concerned about your health, getting fit could
result in peace of mind. If you want to slim down to look and
feel more attractive, perhaps it's positive attention that
you're after. Maybe you want to wear smaller clothes because you
know that will boost your self-esteem and confidence.
An added benefit of this step can occur if you suddenly realize
your reasons are nutty, or that what you really want can be
achieved by something different entirely. For example, if you
always wanted a luxury yacht and you realize it's because you
want to feel wealthy and successful, you may be able to create
that end result from something different entirely. At least
until the luxury yacht is closer within your reach (maybe in
2007).
Once you've determined why you want what you want, the next step
is to create a plan of action. It's often said that "a failure
to plan is planning to fail" and this is the step where many
people fall short of achieving their goals. Let's revisit our
luxury vacation example from Part I. Assuming that you
determined October to be the best time of year to go, and you
set this goal in January, you can create a plan immediately and
have nine months to save money. A lot can happen in nine months
(just ask any parent!)
By creating a plan of action, you can decide how much money
you'll have to save each month to reach your goal, and which
tasks must be accomplished by what date (e.g., booking airfare,
making hotel reservactions, requesting time off from work, etc.)
Without a plan of action, you will have no way to stay on top of
everything that must be done to achieve your goal, which can
result in "Oh well, I guess we won't get to go to Europe this
year either." Whether your plan of action includes Weight
Watchers or SpyAxe, just create that plan and make 2006 the year
to "make it happen." Remember to read the final installment for
the single most important step in the New Year's
Resolution/goal-getting process.