How to Plan Your New Year Resolutions

Yes! This year came and in a flash it has come to an end.

Everyone is asking where did the year go. It's just a little more than one month to go.

With Christmas, Holidays and year end outings and planning the rest of the days would go faster than the rest.

So for the 365 days of this year,what did we achieve?

We spent 1 year, 12 months, 56 weeks, 365 days and 8760 hours. How do you feel?

Have you achieved what you wanted throughout the year. For me I have accomplished half of the things I planned. I am not unhappy. Everybody says every year they make new resolutions and never get a time to achieve at least 10% of what was planned. For me, I set realistic goals which are achievable and manageable to achieve and achieving half means; I have achieved a lot.

Every year I have a 1 page document of the things I that I want to achieve. I make sure all my plans are fitted into a single page, making it easier to refer and easier to achieve. Last year was a better year for me as I achieved 80% of my goals and rest of the years it was somewhere around 50-70% success rate.

There are 2 important things.

1. How to better plan the new year resolution
2. How to stick to the plan & execute

When I started planning my years and setting up goals for next year, It was bothering me on how I am going to put down all my future goals and plans into a plan. Thousand things came into my mind and i was not capable of materialize them into real achievable goals. There I searched on web; I was still a failure.

Once I told this to my immediate manager while we were having lunch and she suggested a book that changed her life and she was generous to give her book for me to refer. The book is "New Year Resolutions" by Sharlene Snow. I borrowed the book and immediately fell in love with it. That was the type of guidance I really wanted. My new year goal planning became fast tracked after reading it and I thought mentioning it here would help others who may be juggling on how to plan the new year goals.

Don’t keep the resolution just in your mind or head. Write it down when you are in a good relaxed mood. Be serious and think why you want to achieve it and do you really mean it. Writing the resolutions will take you to the next level in better planning.

Try to have about 10 resolutions and not too few or not too lot. Having reasonable number of resolutions is easy to follow.

You can think on your personal goals with regard to family, personal life, health, career, social life, learning and anything else that you want to plan.

Remember that goals you set should be achievable in a practical world.

Once you have finished writing your resolutions, it is time to think in detail about each of those. Take one at a time and think the following.

• Why you could not achieve this goal so far?
• Why do you want to achieve it in the coming year?
• How you are going to achieve it?
• What measures you need to take to achieve the goal?

Based on above thinking add the notes to your goals document. The purpose should be that every time you read this it should motivate to achieve the goal and it should remind how important to achieve it.

After you have a list of goals, show it to a good friend or your partner or your family. Do not be shy or backward thinking it is abnormal.

In fact they will be glad to see it and by sharing it will make easier for you to achieve the goals with their support. You can alter based on the feedback and finalize the list.

Print a copy of you document. Keep 1 copy in your room where you can easily see in day to day basis. Keep one in your office drawer. Always reminding helps to stick to your plan.

Periodically check your status with regard to the goals set. May be after every month or after every 3 months would be good enough. Check why if any goal is lagging behind and take corrective measures.

If you are following the plan, you should reward yourself for being a good person. Rewarding helps you to stick to the plan throughout the year. And it is not a bad idea to reward when things are going good for a better future.

When are you going to work on it?

It shouldn't be tomorrow but NOW.

Start planning it now and it will make sure you will have a good plan for next year, before end of this year. That means you will have a wonderful plan to execute from day 1, that is from 1^st of January; a brand new year.

Wishing you a wonderful, prosperous and a meaningful new year. May you achieve all your goals.