For the New Year...:

Going for goals, rather than resolutions

Waking up to a brand new year may mean different things to different people. While there may be those who arm themselves with a handful of resolutions, there are others who set themselves goals. There are yet others who would like to just meander along.

New plans mean commitment. It has to do with one or more lasting personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit.

A New Year's resolution is different from others, in that it is made in anticipation of the New Year, and new beginnings. People committing themselves to a new year's resolution plan to do so for the whole year. As with the dawn of every new year, we may tend to fool ourselves into thinking, as the first day of the year comes, that we would become totally new, by making both small and large changes.

Setting targets at the beginning of the new year has become as important as driving yourself successfully forward to the betterment of everybody. To be successful you need to plan your work. Without planning your work, you cannot work your plan.

While the effort to adopt a resolution shows a pleasant sense of positive intent, a better alternative is to develop new goals for the future. Goals are a better plan than resolutions.

And while one sets about creating goals, there is the popular belief that you have to choose wisely if you plan to achieve something significant. This will, of course, mean whether your goal is relevant to your immediate surroundings, your town and your country’s.

What depths do you go to when you make your resolutions? Do you make it simple, so you will hardly feel any change while going about it, or do you go off the deep end and totally lose control of your bearings on life? As many believe, it is wiser to aim between these two extremes, but one has to have a target which could be monitored along the way.

There is no meaning if you set targets and don’t hold any responsibility to youself at least, of achieving them within the specified period. It will only become like a promise of a politician when he’s out campaigning. He’s not held accountable whether or not he cheats on his promises to the people.

It is therefore wise not to make your resolutions too difficult or too easy. Leave out the boring, routine promises that you cannot keep. Why worry about giving up every food that tastes good, if you won’t do it…?

Many people sabotage their own resolutions from the beginning by expecting too much and setting themselves up to fail. To sustain your effort, you could share your resolutions with others so that it will help you to work on them. Write down your plans in detail, and place it at an open location where you could see it constantly.

It is essential to set yourself up to succeed. First, set small attainable goals. Then, reward your progress.

Therefore, rather than making resolutions, it may be wiser to set goals. If these are somewhat big changes, it may feel like a huge change with no buildup. Goals can be tackled in steps, beginning with baby steps and increasing in difficulty as you become more accustomed to the change. Resolutions are somewhat rigid where you have no room to move. This makes goals more realistic for lasting change.

To help you along with setting goals, it is wise to keep a journal for your personal reference. A few minutes spent on writing down your thoughts, feelings and ambitions everyday will be of immense benefit. Let your mind wander and roam, so that it will be open for new horizons. You will be amazed at the ideas that are generated in a free mind.

Goals have to be realistic and reachable. They provide you a path to focus and aspire to, but with the small steps taken toward your goal, you can still feel like you’ve accomplished something and are on the right track, which will, in turn, keep you moving in the right direction. Once you’ve broken a rigid resolution, however, it’s easier to feel like a failure and give up. Some ideas to launch yourself to success come from Harvey Mackay…

Read more

Vary your reading habits and explore different topics. If you usually read novels, try a biography. If you read only history, try a book on modern-day science.

Learn something new

Take a class in something unrelated to your job or your usual hobbies. Mastering new skills can refresh your outlook on life. Do a crossword or Sudoku puzzle. Visit the museum you drive by everyday. Just break out of your daily routine. Meet new people

Make a true effort to create new friendships (or professional contacts) this year. Look for people whose interests match yours. Then find a creative way to stay in touch.

Create something

Paint a picture, write a poem or start a garden - not because you'll get paid for it, but because you want to. You'll find satisfaction and motivation to keep trying new things.

Volunteer

Find a cause you support and offer your time and service. You'll meet new people and enjoy the feeling of helping out with an important cause. A simple cause will go a long way in making your surroundings more pleasant.

Take care of yourself

Get moving after a day at a desk. If you can't devote 30 minutes in one block, take three 10-minute walks. Try different foods. Make little changes and see what a difference it makes. Use the calendar as an incentive, but don't abandon your goals because of an arbitrary date.

For the year 2012, the top five resolutions, as identified by a SlideShare survey are:

· Be financially-savvy
· Read at least one book per month
· Eat properly
· Get enough sleep
· Keep a journal of life's awesome moments

Every day starts a new year. It’s up to you to make the best of it.

- Raven