New Year’s Resolutions or Goals?
“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving: – Oliver Wendell Holmes
Imagine that it’s December 2018. The year has already flown by, and you are looking back at what you accomplished this past year. What do you see? Did you stick to your New Year’s resolutions? Have you achieved your dream of changing jobs, or living a simpler lifestyle? Did you lose weight or stop smoking?
Every year, throngs of people—maybe even you—choose a list of resolutions for the next year. Unfortunately, many of these resolutions are soon forgotten. Why does this happen?
A major reason for this happening is that it’s deceptively difficult to erase old habits and develop new ones ‘cold turkey’. Resolutions are usually a means to a goal, but if you find a resolution too difficult to stick to, it’s usually dropped and forgotten.
Adopting resolutions shows a wonderful sense of positive intent, however a better alternative is to develop new goals for the future. Goals are a better plan than resolutions because they are tackled in a series of steps, beginning with baby steps and increasing in difficulty as you become more accustomed to the change. This makes goals a more viable solution for lasting change than simply making resolutions.
Everything we accomplish in life is determined by the goals we set. Having goals means you get to decide where you’d like to go in your life’s journey. You can determine the new habits you want to develop, behavioural patterns and attitudes you want to change, possessions you want to acquire, and activities you want to integrate into your life-style.
Even though there are many other factors contributing to the outcomes in our lives, taking charge of the direction of our journey is the most crucial.
A goal is simply a target you aim for, a predetermined destination. There is nothing mystical about goal setting. You’ve been doing it all your life, whether you realize it or not. Some of your past goals may have turned out okay while others may have had disastrous results. In order to achieve all of your goals all of the time, you must focus on your successes, have some new targets in mind, and follow a proven systematic approach in order to achieve your desired results.
Turning Your Goals Into Reality: A 10-Step Process
Step 1: Identify Your Desires
What would you like to have, do, or be?
HAVE includes all material possessions, people, opportunities and resources.
DO includes all the places you would like to visit, skills you would like to learn, concerts you would like to attend, courses you would like to take, etc.
BE includes all the characteristics you would like to develop and the roles you would like to assume.
Step 2: Create Future Vision Statements
In each of these major life areas of health, financial, career, relationships, spiritual and personal development, it is important that you have a clearly defined vision of where you would like to be in the future.
Create future vision statements for each of the major life areas. Write your vision statements in personal, positive and present tense language.
Step 3: Create Affirmations for Each Goal
Affirmations are simple one-sentence statements worded in the positive and in the present tense. Saying, “I am financially independent and free” is an example of a positive affirmation.
When you state something that is not true for you, you are transmitting a negative vibration. Transmitting a positive vibration is the key to attracting that which you desire. Instead re-word your affirmations to make them feel better by starting each affirmation with the following:
I’m in the process of ……
Step 4: Visualize Your Success
Visualization is one of the most dynamic techniques you can use to manifest your goals. Norman Vincent Peale, in his book Positive Imaging, suggests that envisioning success consists of vividly picturing in your conscious mind a desired objective, and holding that representation until it sinks into your subconscious mind, where it releases positive untapped energies.
These pictures become instructions to the brain. Because the subconscious mind doesn’t differentiate between what is imagined and what is real (that is the job of the conscious mind), it accepts what you tell it and sets out to produce your desired results. Due to the universal law of attraction, you are like a magnet, continually attracting the very people and situations into your life that enable you to fulfil that image.
Step 5: Allow the Universe to Figure Out the “How’ and “When”
Too often we get caught up in worrying about ‘how’ we’re going to achieve our goals. Instead allow the ‘Universe’ to decide how and when it will come to us.
Step 6: Create a Collage
Cut out pictures from magazines and paste onto a large piece of bristle board. Arrange the pictures in a way that depicts your ideal life and the goals you want to achieve. Display the collage in a prominent place and spend several minutes each day looking at it.
Step 7: Keep a Treasure Box
Collect things that represent your desire. Include photos, magazine clippings, etc.
STEP 8: Create a Void or Vacuum
If you want to attract a new relationship create space in your closet. If you want to attract new clients, create space in your filing cabinet.
Step 9: Enjoy the Journey
Remember to enjoy the journey. If you focus totally on ‘the goal’ you will be miss the joy and beauty of the present moment.
Step 10: Celebrate
Remember to celebrate the manifestation of your dreams, goals and your increased level of success!
If you are not making the progress in life that you want and know you are capable of, it is simply because your goals are not clearly defined. … Paul J. Meyer
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