Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Setting Goals


We all make resolutions at the first of the year. They are usually focused on the things we saw fault in ourselves the previous year.

I am making a few goals for myself both in my personal life and my business life. While sitting here I thought I would do a little research on New Year’s resolutions.

According to Wikipedia many different people made promises at the beginning of the New Year. Babylonians promised to pay their debts and to return everything they borrowed that year.  The Judaism’s reflect on anything they did that was bad that year and then find and give forgiveness.

The most common goals that people have is live a more healthy life, make and save more money, get a better job or improve their skill set in something, take up a new hobby, volunteer, take more time for themselves and family, and the list goes on.

The ideas we have to better our life and our finances often get clouded by the reality of life.  So how do we keep the goals we have set in the forefront of our minds?

Keep your goals realistic.

Schedule your Time Get a planner or a calendar and schedule the things that you want to include in your day. Put in the time that you will take each day to exercise, spend time with family, work on your hobby or learn something new for your career.

Saving Money If your goal is to save money, you can set it up at the bank where a percentage of your check goes in another account. This is easy if your check goes in automatically.

Get the family involved. Living with others can undo a goal quickly. It is hard to lose weight if your spouse wants pizza every night LOL. Sit down together and go over your goals together, encourage and reward each other when you hit a goal.

Setting goals are hard enough but sticking to them can seem impossible at times. You must be determined and ready to stand up against yourself and others to achieve it.

What are some of the things you have done to stick to a goal you had? 


4 comments:

  1. I enjoyeds this take on New Year Resolutions - I've written about them many times, and my take today is on the same theme that I usually take...I'm not a fan!
    What I've done for myself is to not set them as typical 'New Year Resolutions' and as for what I think is needed to make them stick? Well, that's one word - belief - belief both in yourself and the fruition of the goal.
    Cheers,
    Gordon

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree Gordan. I also do not think that people should wait until one day a year to decide to start a change if they see one should be made. Why not start then? At any rate, many will set goals but few will follow through on them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I talk to my clients about making goals, not resolutions. Then, making sure you have manageable goals, and breaking them into small chucks. I love, love, love a vision or goal board for helping people accomplish what they set out to do.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good points for those who make and keep resolutions [or want to] and like a memorable starting point for them... I prefer making smaller commitments to myself all year long - but then I'm not great at to-do lists or schedules either :)

    Lynn

    ReplyDelete