Testing Your Resolve

"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning." - T. S. Eliot

Many people set New Year Resolutions at this time of year. Perhaps you have already decided that you intend to lose some weight, give-up smoking or achieve something important. How to ensure you actually achieve your New Year Resolutions is the subject of this post.

The first thing to recognise is that what you, perhaps ,already know and understand about how to attract outcomes, using the law of attraction etc, may not work well for wishes or desires expressed in the negative as many common resolutions often are - losing weight and giving-up smoking are excellent examples.

The second important thing is to recognise there is quite a difference between a Resolution and a Goal. Why is this important? Because with a Resolution, once you have broken it, you will be demotivated - essentially that's the end of the matter ... at least until next New Year. When you set a goal, on the other hand, you plan how to get there, you accept set-backs are inevitable and you stay committed even when you are temporarily knocked off-course.

So the trick here is to do two simple things:

• Turn your Resolutions into Goals
• Turn Negatives into Positives

For example, a Resolution to give-up something can usually be expressed, instead, as a Goal to achieve something - instead of giving-up smoking, you can set a goal to become fitter or healthier; instead of setting a Resolution to lose weight, you can set a Goal to achieve a particular weight.

This change of mindset is important for several reasons. People will be 'on your case' the moment they notice you have broken a Resolution; which is inevitable for most people. Thinking in terms of Goals, temporary glitches, are no more than that; they are not the end of the matter, they are simply aberrations - matters that can be dealt with as you proceed toward your goal.

So do take a look at what you have resolved to do in the year ahead and apply this simple thinking to each of those good intentions of yours. Ensure they pass this test: turn them into Goals and express them Positively. It will definitely increase the likelihood of you achieving them.

Do Your Goals Pass the SMART Test?

To get you started on the right foot, you should also make sure your Goals are SMART ...

• S - Specific
• M - Measureable
• A - Achieveable
• R - Realistic
• T - Timetabled

Setting SMART Goals is also very important because you need to recognise and accept, mentally and emotionally, that you can actually make the transformation you desire. If your Goals don't pass the SMART Test, then it's unlikely that you are serious enough about them.

For each Goal you have set, sit down with a blank piece of paper and work out your plan. If it's a fitness Goal for example, then be Specific: are you intending to be able to get fit enough to run a Half-Marathon for example? That's very Specific and it's also Measureable because you either will run the distance or you won't.

Staying with the running example, you need to decide whether the Goal is Achievable and Realistic for YOU. You may need specialist input to make this decision - you might need to consult with your doctor to answer this question for example.

Finally, giving your Goals a Deadline is an important component of mustering your mental powers, so sit down and plan how you will reach each of your Goals and then put a date on them - then they are Timetabled. It is often the case that you will not be able to put a date against a Goal until you have completed the necessary planning.

When you have made your Goals SMART, you are on the right track; a step ahead of those who have not put the right amount of time into planning their approach and a step closer to the Goal you have set because you have taken a step of commitment; something that 99% of people will fail to do.

Here's to the year ahead.

May you go on to greater things and achieve what is important to you.

Will