I Resolve To...

Does your company set goals for the coming year? Are you measured (and paid) based upon the attainment of these goals? Do you have incremental milestones that need to be reached in order to progress towards these goals? Why is it that most people don't do the same thing for themselves? What goals do you have for your future? When was the last time you made New Year's resolutions? When was the last time you kept them?

A goal without a plan is only a dream!

The point to all of these questions is that we seem to spend so much time on business issues that we often neglect where our personal path is leading us. While we may have a handle on certain aspects of our career goals, there are many other facets to our lives that need attention and that require a solid plan in place in order to achieve what we want in the long run.

As we enter the New Year I am continually amazed at the number of people that only use this time of year to take a personal inventory of their lives and acknowledge things that they would like to change. My guess is that this exercise lasts all of a few hours (how many trips to the gym have you made over the years in January only?).

Accountability is a funny thing. People react differently if they are held to goals by others versus left to their own devices. It doesn't require pushing and prodding, only an interest in the success of others. What if you had to report to someone on a quarterly basis about your efforts and the resulting progress towards your personal goals? It works in business, could it work for you personally?

What would it take for you to set into action a sustainable plan that leads to attainment of your goals? You have it within your power to use this time to give yourself the best gift of all this holiday season- a gift of success, however you may define it. I firmly believe that you can achieve what you want to in this life- but first you need to truly commit to your goals and then develop a plan to achieve them.

Are your goals only a dream?