2007 is quickly coming to an end. The holiday decorations are up, cards have been mailed out and presents have been purchased. Soon, the only thing left to do will be to set my New Year’s resolutions! The problem with these lists of goals for so many people is that we set ourselves up for failure in a number of ways. To look at why we fail at our New Year’s resolutions, let’s take a look at some best-practices for goal setting and apply those to our year-end goals. We’ll look at alternatives for some of the most common resolutions that we set and then some general tips for achieving your goals.

Objectives That Are Too Long In Scope

When setting any goal, it is very important to keep the time frame in mind. You can set a very realistic goal but ultimately fail if the time period is too long. The reason this sets you up to fail is that you do not give yourself checkpoints along the way that measure your progress and give you encouragement as you successfully pass.

• Instead of: I want to lose 25 pounds by next Christmas.
• Try: I want to lose two pounds each month in 2008.
• The Reason This Works: 25 pounds is a lot of weight for us to lose. However, two pounds per month really isn’t unmanageable. By giving yourself a goal that is short in scope, you provide yourself with a lot of positive feedback throughout the year. On the first of the month when you step on the scale and see yourself slightly lighter than before, you’re going to reinforce that what you’re doing is helping you and you’re well on your way to reaching your goal.

Objectives That We Cannot Quantify

The checkpoints mentioned above give us an easy way to measure our progress because they are quantifiable. Always set goals that can be measured and evaluated along the way.

• Instead of: I want to be a better father for my children.
• Try: I want to dedicate every Saturday in full to my children and review their homework with them each weeknight.
• Why This Works: We can measure progress with this goal! As you lay your head down each night, ask yourself if you reviewed your child’s homework. If the answer is no, you will know right away that you are not meeting your new year’s resolution. Did you spend Saturday with your children or did you dedicate the day to yourself? Again, these are measurable goals.

Goals That Are Simply Unattainable

One of my favorite traditions every Christmas dinner is to ask friends and family if they have set New Year’s resolutions for themselves and listen to what types of improvements these people want to make in their lives. Far too often, I hear goals that are simply unattainable and ultimately lead to a sense of failure. Don’t set yourself up to fail right from the beginning. Take baby steps to achieve your goals and you will give yourself more self-esteem when you accomplish something!

• Instead of: I want to make twice as much money this year.
• Try: I want to earn my annual bonus by meeting each of the expectations laid-out by my boss and make an extra $3,000 through my home-based business.
• Why This Works: Of course, fill in your own numbers in my example above but the idea will remain the same for all readers. Very few jobs in this world allow you to entirely dictate your income. Even in 100% commission positions such as real estate sales, a number of external factors come into play that might cause you to miss your goal. Keep your goal by keeping it realistic and focused around things that are in your hands. You can decide how hard to work to ensure you get your bonus. You can start a home-based business for extra cash. Keep the focus on you and set yourself up for success!

Setting Goals That You’ve Failed Many Times Before

How many smokers do you know that set their resolution every year around quitting smoking? This common resolution can only be second to losing weight I think. Why do people set this resolution every year if they know they’re going to fail? Let’s look at it a different way.

• Instead of: I want to quit smoking this year.
• Try: I will try a new method (stop-smoking patches) and join an online smoking cessation group and visit the site daily.
• Why This Works: Now instead of having a vague goal with no mention of implementation, you’ve given yourself a way you’re going to succeed. Smoking is a tough habit for so many people to break but now you’ve put your best foot forward and given yourself a method to reaching success!

Set Some Goals And Have Some Success In 2008!

If you use the methods outlined above, you should have no trouble starting 2008 with success! So what are your goals in 2008? Have any of them been modified after reading this article? Drop a note in the comments section and share with your fellow readers!