A wonderful New Year is almost upon us. That magical time in which we are given a blank page on which we can write the next chapter in our lives. We are given the gift of time, 365 days in which we can shape and mold our ideas into something tangible and real. Are you ready to take a look back at what you accomplished in 2008 and a look forward at the wonderful possibilities for 2009? Are you ready to make 2009 better than 2008? If you really want to make and keep a New Year resolution don't put it off until the last minute. Don't make a hasty, champagne-induced list on the back of a cocktail 
napkin at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. Start today. Begin dreaming and brainstorming about what you would love to achieve, create, experience, be, learn, do, feel, see, or have in the New Year!
Clarity of thought and purpose will enable you to take a dream from start to finish, turn a resolution into reality and make a goal happen. When you know 'what you want to achieve', 'why you want to achieve it', and 'how you're going to achieve it' it takes the guess work out of daily activities. Brainstorming and planning are vitally important 'first steps' if you want to achieve a dream, replace a bad habit with a good one, learn something new, create or achieve something. When you have a dream, a plan, and a process by which you can systematically approach your daily activities anything is possible!
As a starting point, consider the I Resolve To Formula For Success. It's a simple, common sense way to begin the process: Begin with a cherished dream, one in which you have enormous desire and interest.Turn that dream into a specific, one-sentence resolution that clearly states your intention. Make that resolution a reality with daily goals that can be achieved one at a time, one day at a time.
Dream + Resolution + Daily Goals = Success, Achievement & Reward!
When considering New Year Resolutions and mulling plans for dreams and goals, folks often make things harder than they need to be. Rather than drafting that long, tired list of resolutions that we think we 'should' make - the 'Sins' - why not make just one resolution. Make one resolution about which you have true desire, passion and interest. Forget about that long laundry list of resolutions that you make and fail to keep, year after year. That decision alone increases your odds of success exponentially. Embarking on the journey with clarity of purpose, a dream about which you have great interest and passion, and a systematic process removes nagging questions and doubt about 'what to do first' and 'what to do next'.
I preach about pursuing one resolution, one day at a time for one year because it has worked so well for me, year after year. Throughout my life I have made dreams and resolutions a reality by following this simple, common sense approach. I long ago made a commitment, a promise to myself, to stop smoking, to exercise daily, write, build a business, excel at photography, earn college degrees, own a home, and work from my home. Those are just a few of my dreams, my Lifetime Resolutions.I don't believe in making resolutions and checking them off my list. I make them and keep them with me for good.
A key to my success is that I pursue just one life-changing dream, and make just one major resolution at a time. To do otherwise is a recipe for quick failure. Our lives are packed full of activities as it is, it's no wonder that we don't have ambition to tackle a long list of changes that we think we should make because that's what folks do in the New Year. It's not surprising that most people abandon their Resolution list - diet, exercise, save, stop smoking, stop drinking - after days or weeks. The list exists, but the passion, commitment, and desire is lacking. Personally I believe the most popular resolutions are great ways to improve lives, but without true heartfelt desire for change, a resolution is nothing more than an empty promise.
This year can be different, but you must have the desire to make it so. Don't abandon the practice of making New Year Resolutions - change the paradigm! Think outside the box. Don't be afraid to color with a red crayon instead of the same blue one you always use. Be a Resolution Revolutionary: change the way you think about and approach dreams, resolutions and goals. Try my Formula For Success and apply the I Resolve To Do's,they're simple, easy to use, and easy to understand:
- Dare To Dream: Open your mind and consider all the wonderful possibilities. Find a quiet spot where you can relax and daydream with your journal. Make a list of the 100 things that you would truly love to do, be, see, feel, create, experience, learn, achieve, and have while you're here on earth - your Lifetime Resolution List. Focus like a laser on the one dream that most inspires you, makes you excited and nervous at the same time. Focus on the one that you will want to pursue day after day.
- Decide: Make a firm decision, a personal commitment, a promise to yourself to pursue that dream today; to make it a Lifetime Resolution that is with you for good. Why fulfill a dream, then check it off your list? Why not achieve it, keep it with you, and enjoy it for life!
- Define: Turn that dream into a specific, one-sentence resolution that provides clarity of purpose. For instance, I Resolve To exercise for 30-minutes daily by walking, working out with weights, swimming, doing Yoga, and biking, so that I can maintain my weight, be fit and toned (i.e. look good in my clothes, and feel good about myself), be healthy (i.e. lower my cholesterol and blood pressure), and maintain a good mood and positive outlook.
- Develop A Plan: Do your homework. Learn all you can about the 'who, what, when, where, why, and how' of your dream, then turn that knowledge into written short and long-range plans that include daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals, timelines, and milestones, along with a system of making course corrections, and rewarding victories. Keep a Daily Resolution Diary and do Daily and Weekly Check-Ins. Your plan is a living document that will grow and change as you grow, learn and change.
- Do It Daily!: Each and every day take one small step - achieve at least one goal - that will enable you to make your dream, your resolution a reality. Try to devote at least 30-minutes each day to your dream. If you devote just 30-minutes each day to your dream that adds up like compound interest on money in the bank to 7.5 full 24-hour days in one year! Tell your friends and family and enlist their support. Find buddies who can make the journey with you. Seek out a mentor who can provide advice. Join a club or take a class to learn new things that will lend motivation and inspiration to your quest. Wear your resolution on your shirt and plant a post-it on your computer, your mirror, your refrigerator - anyplace that will provide frequent reminders.
As you plot your course, don't forget to consider the obstacles - all the many things that can go wrong, or will stand in the way of progress, including obstacles of our own making like pessimism, a bad attitude, lack of faith, hope, determination, and un-willingness to work hard. Consider the I Resolve To Don'ts:
- Procrastinate: Put an end to the 'Someday, Someday, Someday Syndrome'. Do It Today. Stop waiting for tomorrow. Take action, one small step today, another one tomorrow, and another one the next day. Get rid of the guilt caused by doing nothing. The smallest steps can energize you and build lasting momentum. Sometimes 'just showing up' is all you need to do. Get off the couch, put on your tennis shoes and head for the tennis courts. Fire up the computer and write the next page in your novel. Your best effort may surface on the days you feel least motivated!
- Give Into Fear Of Success Or Fear Of Failure: Embrace your fears and your mistakes. Understand them, learn from them, so you can overcome them and move forward with confidence. Obstacles will appear like dandelions on a Spring day at times. Identify the potential obstacles and prepare for them. Knowledge is power and it will help you to move past your obstacles and fears. Don't sabotage yourself by self-limiting behaviors. A little daily introspection can go a long way. Think about what you're doing and why you're doing it - if you're getting in your own way, figure out a way around.
- Get Overwhelmed Or Discouraged: Give yourself the gift of time to achieve your dream and make your resolution a reality. Pursue your resolution one small step - one goal - one day at a time for one year. If you have a rough day today, know tomorrow is right around the corner. Patience, passion and persistence will get you through those bleak, rough days. Know when it's time to lower the bar just a little and reduce expectations. When you're feeling down, pull out your journal and review all your victories. Reward yourself, often, for successes and milestones.
- Grow Bored, Weary Or Burned Out: Set a realistic pace and be realistic about your goals - what you can achieve by a specific date. Remember you don't have to reach the top of the mountain overnight. Novels aren't written in a day, college degrees take years to earn, getting in shape takes weeks and months. In short, dreams take time and hard work that's why it's so important to commit to a resolution that you would love to achieve. You have to want to spend time working on it each and every day. You need 'fire in the belly'. As you progress vary your activities to keep things interesting, take breaks, and be kind to yourself.
- Give Up!: Keep track of your successes - your hard won victories - and use them to fuel the fire of your passion and to motivate yourself on both the good and bad days. Keep your eye on the prize and know in time you will succeed. Faith, hope, and optimism will see you through. If you're feeling pessimistic and hopeless - rather than give up - take a vacation from your dream, resolution and daily goals. Rest, relax and take care of yourself, but be sure to schedule a specific date to 're-start' and know what your next step will be.
Personally, I think about my dreams, resolutions and goals each and every day - 365 days each year. To make and keep New Year Resolutions, I firmly believe you need make each and every day New Year's Day. It helps to view each day as a brand new blank slate - a clean sheet of paper on which you will write that day's story. Above all, make each and every day count. If you're committed to your resolution to that degree, your odds of succeeding are far greater than if you and work on it occasionally. If you're truly serious about 'Making Each And Every Day New Year's Day - Making Each And Every Day Count' - I strongly urge you chronicle your journey. Write things down. Keep a Daily Resolution Diary.I track my own progress each day in spiral notebooks and on calendars that Is receive from charitable organizations that I support. Writing things down enables 'Resolutionistas' - those folks who make Resolutions, keep them, and enjoy the journey - to brainstorm and build concrete plans, to chart progress, track milestones, and most importantly to build in rewards for progress and hard won victories.
I carry my spiral notebooks and calendar with me in my purse. That practice helps to keep my dreams, resolutions and goals front and center. When I have a few spare minutes, I pull out my notebook and do some planning. I do Daily Check-Ins in the morning because they enable me to plan my day and schedule at least 30-minutes or an hour into my day specifically for my resolution goals. That may not be realistic for everyone. If you can only Check-In a couple times during the week, and once each weekend, that works too. The point is to Check-In frequently, so you can grow your plan, make course corrections, adjust your timeline, and most importantly, devote some time each and every day to your project.
Each weekend, I carve out an hour or two to sit down in a quiet spot with my coffee, notebook and calendar. I spend that time noodling my 'Things To Do'Lists', what I achieved that week, and what I plan to achieve - the next steps for the coming week, month and quarter. Planning ahead is another key ingredient of achieving dreams, resolutions and goals. It's not enough to know what you need to do today and tomorrow. You need to know the next 10, 20, 50, 100 goals. When you complete those goals, you need to be primed and ready to hit the next 100 in your plan. That clarity of thought and purpose instills confidence.
Why not begin today. Each one of us has dreams. Why not pull one off your Lifetime Resolution List and 'go for it'today. Make it a priority in your life during the coming New Year. Rather than live a life of regret for all that you 'didn't do', be grateful and happy for all that you have, all that you are, and all that you 'do' in your life.
Remember: I Resolve To . . . Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year. It's your choice. Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps: Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good! Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey! Let's Go For It!
Need More Inspiration? Wear Your Resolution! Make Every Day New Year's Day. Make Every Day Count. Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link: http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto
Kim M. Simpson - December 15, 2008
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