A national statistic posted in the NY times shows that most resolutions are broken within the first three weeks of the year. That being said, if you make it past that 3-week mark, you are likely to keep your rhythm through at least the 6-month mark! So how are your 2009 goals going so far? Are you still inspired to achieve your goals? These first few weeks for me, have been pretty busy, beginning official writing classes, starting a pretty intense month-long detox, and increasing my work schedule. My goals are still on track, however and I’m finding new ways to implement them.

I’ve been reading some great articles on goal setting and a webpage I feel worth sharing with you, is by Chris Guillebeau called ‘The Art of Nonconformity.’ He is a fantastically inspiring individual whose life goal is to travel to each of the 198 countries in the world before his 35^th birthday. With over 120 countries checked off of his list and four years to go, he is well on his way. He writes wonderful content on how to live a remarkable life in a conventional world with the basic premise ‘you don’t have to live your life the way others expect you to.’ In his ‘brief guide to world domination’ he talks about the two most important questions in the universe: What do you want to get out of your life? What do you have to offer that no one else does? I highly recommend reading his manifesto as it really helps in putting some great perspective into your goal setting.

 

So here are some general tips to keep your 2009 goals in sight and on track. Many have worked well for me in the past and present. And others just make great sense.

 

1)    Think about the areas of your life that you want to set goals:

 

Artistic- finish book, gallery show, do more crafts?

Attitude- increase positivity, patience?

Career- promotion, new job?

Education- new skills, finish degree?

Family- connect more with family, start a family?

Financial- increase income, manage money better? 

Physical- nutrition, workout plan?

Pleasure- vacation, be outdoors more?

Public Service- volunteer, community outreach? 

 

2)    Set SMART goals:

 

Specific- don’t be too general, make your goal as specific as possible.

Measurable- how will you know if you’ve reached your goal if there’s no way to measure your progress?

Attainable- reaching for the stars is great, but make sure your goal is actually achievable.

Relevant- if it doesn’t fit into your life, you will loose interest as soon as it gets hard. Relevant is important.

Time-bound- give yourself a specific timeline and reevaluate at that point. Check in every 2 weeks or so.

3)  Write your goals down and post them in a place where you will see them often. Refrigerator and above your desk are good places. This gives them more presence in your life. Also write why the goal is important for you to achieve.

4)  State your goals positively. Rather than saying, I want to stop nagging my husband, eating food I know is bad for me and decrease the amount I watch television, try: I will work to create a more patient and positive attitude towards my husband, eat nutritious food that my body loves, and read or be outside more. 

5)  Stay focused- review and rewrite to do list regularly and work towards smaller goals daily.     

6)    Give yourself rewards- incentives are always good. When you reach certain milestones along the way, take yourself out to dinner, get a pedicure, or buy a new journal. Anything that gives you a little pat on the back and keeps you coming back for more!

 

With that, I hope you are finding new ways to do and keep doing great things in your life; keeping the ball rolling even if your discover a giant hill ahead. You are the only one that gets to live your remarkable life, so make the most of it!

 

xox

Guinevere