This time you can!!!

So why do we fail to fulfill our New Year's Resolutions. There are a couple of reasons:

1. We tend to make our resolutions rashly. An hour before midnight someone hands us a slip of paper and we right down next year's resolutions. I am going to quit smoking, lose weight, increase my income. All worthy goals, but they are empty promises we make to ourselves. Mary Kay Ash (MaryKay Cosmetics) says "A goal is a dream with a deadline."
2. We lack focus! We can make a laundry list of all things we hope to do, or we can choose one or two very specific items that we are determined to accomplish. I have a good friend who looks over his business at the end of every year and implements a very simple, but effective plan. First, he cuts the 20% of things he is doing that are the most unproductive and uses that energy to apply towards new projects he wants to purse.

So here is my simple approach to succeeding this year and using that success as a springboard for a more productive life.

• Identify the single most important thing you want to accomplish this year. Attack it with reckless abandon and don't rest till it is done. If you want to lose 20 lbs. make it a priority in everything you do. If you can't resist buttered popcorn at the movies - don't go to the movies till you lose the 20 lbs. A single-minded approach will help us to avoid the detours and justifications that keep us from reaching our goals.
• Remind yourself of the impact that attaining that one goal will have. Success breeds success. Achieve that goal and you will be ready to tackle the next one with the same fire in your belly. When you feel like giving up - remember your approach to this one thing will affect every avenue of your life. If you succeed, you will be ready for the next challenge, if you surrender - you will be less motivated for future goals.

The only thing that can stop you from succeeding is you. Whether it is food, finances, or professional goals - you are in control. You have to take the wheel and make things happen. Don't fall into the blame game, don't look for a scapegoat, take responsibility and make it happen.