Resolutions

Do you know what the three most popular resolutions each year are? (Answers below.) Do you make resolutions? Did you know that almost 50% of the people who actually make resolutions drop them by the end of the first week? Maybe they’re going about it the wrong way.

Think of it like this: How can you get to where you’re going if you don’t know how to get there? Once upon a time there was a young man who had just graduated college and wanted to start his new life in a new town. He walked down to the bus station, went up to the ticket window and asked the Ticket Master for a bus ticket. The Ticket Master said “Where would you like to go, son?” The young man said “I don’t know. Just give me a ticket to somewhere.” Needless to say, he didn’t get a bus ticket.

I know a handy-dandy method of getting your bus ticket for your new future.

Have you ever heard of SMART goal setting? SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Action Oriented, Rewards, Timely and Tangible.

Specific is the What, Why, and How of your goal. WHAT are you going to do? WHY is this important to do at this time? What do you want to ultimately accomplish? HOW are you going to do it? Use action words, write it in the positive and be precise.

Steven R. Covey suggests you ask “What one or two things could I change that would significantly increase my happiness?” Be honest with yourself and examine your intent, motive and desire. Make sure it taps into one of your most important values or relationships in life. If it isn’t something you are really passionate about you won’t have the motivation to follow through later. Limit yourself to just one or two New Year’s resolutions.

If you can measure it, you can manage it! There is an old saying that says “what gets measured gets done.” It is vitally important that your goal is measurable, otherwise how will you know you’ve achieved it? Keep track of each small success you make toward reaching your larger goal. Short-term goals are easier to keep, and small accomplishments will help keep you motivated. Instead of focusing on losing 30 pounds, say, focus on losing that first 5. Keeping a food diary or a symptom journal may help you stay on track.

Your goal is action-oriented when you focus on actions that are in your direct control. It’s OK to have goals whose outcome you can’t directly control, as long as you are clear about the actions you need to take to do your part in the process.

Ask yourself why you want to achieve it. Break your goal down into smaller steps that stre-e-e-etch you just a bit. Too difficult and you set the stage for failure, but too easy gives no boost to your feeling of self-worth. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement! For instance, resolving to never eat your favorite food again because it bothers your IBD could be a bad choice. Strive for a goal that is attainable, such as avoiding it more often than you do now.

Give yourself a reward as you meet the steps to achieving your goal. This doesn’t mean that you can eat an entire box of chocolates if your resolution is to diet. Instead, celebrate your success by treating yourself to something that you enjoy that does not contradict your resolution. If you’ve been sticking to your promise to eat better, for example, perhaps your reward could be going to a movie with a friend.

Set a time for the goal to be completed. Without setting a time you don’t really have a clear destination in mind. Giving yourself a deadline keeps you motivated to continue the steps.

A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. Sometimes it helps to see a list of items on paper to keep your motivation strong. Develop this list over time, and ask others to contribute to it. Keep your list with you and refer to it when you need help keeping your resolve.

Why is it so important to set goals? “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Jim Cathcart, a noted professional speaker, once said, “Most people aim at nothing in life and hit it with amazing accuracy.” We do what we want to do, don’t we? I know I do.

When we set a goal for something we want we expect a certain outcome. This changes our brains. Researchers have long been aware that if you expect a medicine to work, it often will, even when it’s a sugar pill. Jim Fannin makes a living teaching people how to achieve their goals. His clients have included Alex Rodriguez and Tiger Woods. He has them visualize doing exactly what they want to be doing.

Imagine what it will be like to achieve your New Year’s resolution. What will you feel like? How will this affect other people in your life? Visualizing these answers will help keep you from giving up on your goals when the demands of your life intrude.

So, before you buy that ticket for your journey to success, Specifically identify your goal. Measure your success along the way. Create Action by meaningful statements. Reward success. Give yourself Time to achieve your goal. Make it Tangible by writing it down

Get SMART!

The three most common New Year’s resolutions are 1. Lose weight; 2. Save money or get out of debt; and 3. Develop healthier habits.

My goals for 2011 are: to lose weight, save money and become a public speaker. I do have them written down SMART-style, and will be reporting on them throughout the year.

Where are you going to go this year?