Resolution For No Resolutions
With Christmas now over every one’s attention quickly turns to New Year’s Eve, 2009, and the inevitable resolutions that will be made and quickly forgotten. I’ve had a standing New Year’s resolution to “not make resolutions” – so far I haven’t failed.
This is not to say that I don’t make goals for myself – of course I do. The arbitrary date of January 1 just never felt any better than any other date and I have never felt particularly motivated to set a goal just because everyone else is at the end of the year. My current outstanding goals (the ones that I am working on now) have various completion dates and were created when they were needed. If February comes around and I need to set a new timeline for an accomplishment, I won’t wait 10 months to set a “resolution” – I will just make a new goal. (If you put off setting goals for yourself like this, I would recommend a resolution to stop procrastinating.)
However, if you are motivated by the end of the year to start making goals – I would always recommend including an award for yourself once you have completed the goal. This “reward” may help to keep you motivated and gives you a benefit to work towards. Instead of saying, “I will lose 10 pounds,” say that, “If I lose 10 pounds this year I will buy myself a new car.” (Or whatever reward you think is reasonable… a car for 10 pounds may be a little too much of a reward… well, maybe a Smart Car.) I always include a reward for my goals no matter when I set them and it is always a great motivator. I also thoroughly enjoy each reward that I receive when my goals are completed.
So whether or not January 1 is a turning point in your year, or just another date on the calendar and an excuse to drink champagne, I wish you a Happy New Year and All The Best in 2009!
PS: If you need help on goal-setting, a business group that I am a part of (JCI Calgary) is producing a training event with Les Hewitt, the author of The Power of Focus. Click here for more details.
