New Years Resolutions

I'm not much into New Years Resolutions, never have been,

Firstly, you don't need to wait till the beginning of the year to DECIDE on a new course of ACTION (Tony Robbins defines DECIDE as To Cut Off From Any Other Possibility).

Secondly, a resolution is not a goal, until you know WHY you want to achieve it, and have a PLAN of ACTION towards achieving that goal.

Lets look at a few examples of common New Years Resolutions:

I want to quit smoking -

• Why? - I will live longer, I will feel healthier, I will be fitter, I will smell better, I won't feel like a social outcast, my family and friends will be happy, I will be around longer for my kids.
• Plan of Action - Progressively cut down number of cigarettes smoked until its zero by end of Feb, delay first cigarette of the day by 5 mins every day, drink water instead of a cigarette, practice deep breathing instead of a cigarette, take a walk at lunch time, stop hanging around with smokers at work.

I want to lose weight - 

• Why? - I will be healthier, I will be fitter, I will live longer, I will look better in my clothes and swimsuit, I will look and feel sexier, I will be more attractive to the opposite sex, people won't call me names or look at me strangely, I will be around longer for my kids.
• Plan of Action - Decide on a goal weight or dress size, throw out all the junk food in the house, quit take away food and restaurants, especially quit fast food, plan weeks meals in advance, prepare a healthy lunch to take to work each day, drink more water, start and maintain an exercise program, get a checkup from my doctor, weigh myself daily, no more than one standard drink when drinking alcohol.

I want to get my finances under control - 

• Why? - I'm spending too much money on stuff I don't need, I can get out of debt, I can save for the house/car/holiday, I want to prepare for my retirement, I want to invest in property/shares, I want to be able to take care of my parents, I want to send my kids to private school, I want to be able to contribute to a worthy cause, I want to own my own house debt free.
• Plan of Action - Make a list of all debts and assets, start an automatic savings plan, start to domino my debts, record every dollar spent, identify financial leaks eg. eating out, foxtel payments, drunken taxi rides, get a better deal on your mortgage and utilities, research investment options.

OK, so that's just a few of the things that clients regularly come up with during a goal setting and planning session.

Which do you think has more chance of succeeding beyond Jan 5th, the drunken New Years Resolution, or the carefully thought out goal that has reasons why and plan of action?

Congratulations if you chose the latter! You can do this at any time, however the New Year is an excellent time to set yourself up to win for the next year. You normally have some time off to reflect on your past year, your wins and your learnings, and set a course for the next 12 months.

Your coach is an ideal sounding board to assist you with this process.

To your success,

Trevor Long