It’s that time of year again and leading up to the new year, countless people have made resolutions for 2014. Not everyone makes them, but close to half of those who do break their resolutions by the end of January. So, what happens? Simply put, resolutions just don’t have what it takes to last very long, so they give out before you get going good. Resolutions are declarations or decisions based upon your desires, hopes, or intentions. Usually what happens once you declare them, nothing follows or perhaps there’s some action, but then you get off track and find it hard to stick to them.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that resolutions are a bad thing. They aren’t. They serve the purpose of acting as a catalyst for what you want to bring to fruition, but by themselves they just don’t cut it. They don’t work for a number of reasons, but primarily they don’t work because they lack clarity and  specifics and without strategy and execution they just don’t work.

So what’s the secret?  How do you make your resolutions come to life?  First of all, allow them to be what they be. Resolutions serve as a spring board into a goal, so allow them to serve as the agent that spurs you forward into creating a goal around that declaration.  A goal is more concrete.  It’s a specific want and is very detailed. When a goal is solid it specifically states the focus, defines measurement, it’s attainable, realistic and time bound. When structured like this, goals have what it takes to go the distance. Furthermore, once the solid goals have been established, there is a strategy put in place for reaching each of them as well as an execution plan. The secret is taking the things that you’ve resolved to do and morphing them into goals that are S.M.A.R.T. and then creating your strategy and steps to making them come to fruition. Those two things are primary if you really want to see what you’ve declared actually materialize any time soon. Add to the mix the right mindset, motivation, accountability, and commitment and you’ve got the secret recipe for success.

If you find this area challenging and you find that the year has started without you, keep an eye out for my next few posts along with some gifts and free events that will help you get on track for 2014. You’ll find them listed on the website calendar.