New Year's Resolutions

It's that time again…time to reflect on the previous year and prepare for the New Year ahead. If you had resolutions last year that you didn't achieve by the end of the year, trust me you are not alone! I have come to realize that in order to truly make a change in my life I have to have an action plan and I have to actually do the tasks required to make it happen (as silly as that may sound). Are you ready to make changes in your daily routines and start your New Year's Resolutions on the right path? If you want to have something that you have never had or do something that you have never done there is no-one stopping you but the person in the mirror. The great news about this is that you also have the power within you to make it happen and there are great resources available to help guide you into making changes today and lead you towards achieving your dreams. Here are my tips to help you create and triumph over your New Year's Resolutions. Make it a great year!

Letting Go

Before you can even begin working on yourself in the New Year or at any point in time in your life you should take some time to reflect on where you have been and let go of things that may be holding you back. Letting go of stress, worry and fears can make a major impact on your resolutions in 2014. Check out this great article that lists 20 things to let go of to help you feel better physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Develop a Personal Mission Statement

When it comes to mission statements the first thing that comes to mind are businesses and non-profit organizations, however have you ever thought of creating a personal mission statement? A personal mission statement is about you and your values and true vision for your life. The mission statement should be applicable to every area of your life and it should be something that will serve as a reminder when you feel that you may be getting off track of your main goals in life. Ask yourself what you see as your purpose in life; what are you most passionate about, and what are your values? Don't be worried if this takes you some time, there is no one path or one method as this should be something very personal for you. Here are some steps that may be useful in the process of developing a personal vision and mission statement.  You may also be interested in reading or listening to Stephen R. Covey's Habit 2 of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Setting S.M.A.R.T Goals

Have you ever wondered how to set goals or where to begin? What do you need to set your goals? First, be sure that you are setting S.M.A.R.T goals. S.M.A.R.T is an acronym for specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, and timely.  These goals can be a combination of short term and long term goals but make sure that each one can be defined by these 5 steps.  If your goal is to get in better financial shape here is an example of a S.M.A.R.T goal: To decrease my personal credit debt by $4,800 by December 31, 2014 with the remaining $200 of each paycheck. For an additional explanation of setting S.M.A.R.T goals for your New Year's Resolutions.

Believing in Yourself

I deeply value the quote from Napoleon Hill which states, “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." From personal experience, I can attest that it is not easy to change because it feels uncomfortable at first but if you believe in yourself and take the actions necessary to reach your goals you can do it. You must have a desire to achieve your dreams and believing that you can do it can make all of the difference in the world.