A Time for Resolutions

Every New Year brings talk of resolutions. We've all heard people commit to losing weight, exercising more, working smarter, spending more time with loved ones and so on. It is not surprising that so many people make resolutions. It's human nature to want more out of life. What surprises me is that we call them resolutions instead of goals. The word "goal" has a completely different feel to it. A goal is something that will take focus and effort to attain. A goal is something that takes planning, scheduling, action and measurement of results versus objectives. A goal is something where the risk of falling short or fear of failure may be the one reason that people don't want to venture into this uncomfortable territory.

The old adage that smart people learn from their mistakes and that successful people learn from other's is pertinent to this discussion. Countless studies show that individuals who lay out their goals in writing accompanied by an action plan are the ones who get what they want out of life. So why is it that such a small percentage of us lay out our goals each year. In life, rewards go to the bold. If you haven't already begun a regimen of writing down your goals annually, today can be your new beginning.

Consider these tips for laying out your goals:

• Commit about 2 hours for this.


• Lay out long-term (the rest of your life) and short-term (this year) goals.


• Categorize your goals by the areas that are of the greatest importance to you. For example, I use the following categories: Health, Spiritual, Relationships, Career, Financial, Adventure and Educational. The key is that you find the categories that match your life.


• Under each categories, list your goals. This is actually fun. We remember making our Christmas lists when we were kids. This is your Christmas list for life and you are in charge! Next to each goal, list the action steps you need to achieve the goal. Remember that you can enlist the help of others here. Then, next to each action step, list a deadline. As they say in the newspaper business, without deadlines, nothing gets done.

After you've writing your goals, set them aside and go back to them a day or two later. This is a dynamic document and you should be tweaking it as you go. Once your goals, actions steps and planned completion dates are laid out, pull out your calendar and ensure that the actions you need are placed into your schedule as your top priorities. Ensure that things of lesser importance always follow these which are of greater importance.

Review your goals at least monthly. For me, the beginning of each month is the trigger for review. It's amazing how looking at them frequently keeps you grounded and focused. You will find yourself working on your priorities rather than someone else's. Your results will improve and you'll find yourself getting what you want out of life!

Happy New Year!

Jim Pascale

Jim Pascale is a 20+ year veteran of consulting with small business owners and has comprehensive knowledge of franchising and small business operations.

Contact Jim at jimpascaleminnesota@yahoo.com.