The new year celebrations have come and gone.  Now it’s time to get back to work.  Everywhere I look are questions about a New Year’s Resolution.  During all the reverie, it’s easy to pass off an anecdotal comment as resolve without putting much thought into it.  Now is the time to start that thought process.

My preference is to start at the end to get to the beginning.  What is it that you wish have accomplished by this time last year?  Be realistic, but do dream some.  A goal is only worthy if you need to stretch outside your comfort zone a bit to accomplish it.  However, there is no use saying you’re going to run a marathon next week if you didn’t start training last year.  Determine a goal you believe you could reach if you did the work to get it.

Here are a few guidelines to get you started:

1. BE SPECIFIC – Keep your goal narrow enough that you’ll know when you accomplished it.  Use numbers to help codify it ( for example:  I will serve 5 new clients each month or I will earn an extra $100 per week).
2. BREAK IT DOWN – To get to your goal, you’ll need to start with baby steps and grow.  Break down the steps into “TO DO” items you can check off each day or each week.  (for example:  I will collect 5 business cards each week and follow up with every one or I will write 3 paragraphs in my blog each week).
3. PUT A DATE TO IT – A goal is just a dream with a date attached.  Be sure to put dates on the goals.  (for example I will make an extra $100 per week by March 1, 2010).
4. WRITE IT DOWN – Sounds simply, right?  So have you done it?  None withstanding that the Harvard (or Yale) class study was a hoax ( See Sid’s blog for more discussion) , writing down your goals on paper and reviewing them regularly make a difference.  This doesn’t have to be fancy.  My husband keeps his on a few sheets in his planner.

Give it a try.  We’ll do it together.  I’m starting to write my goals as soon as this post is finished (especially since this blog is also one of my goals).

Happy New Years!