Journal tomhudson's Journal: New Years Resolutions HOW-TO 11

It's that time of year - new years, and with it, new years resolutions.

So:

1. Bite-sized chunks: For example, don't say you're going to lose 50 pounds in 50 weeks, but set a more manageable goal - 10 pounds by April 1st. You can always go for another 10 pounds once you've reached your goal;
2. Be specific: Not "I will spend more time with the kids", but "Sunday brunch with the kids, every weekend";
3. Keep notes: Writing your goals down and tacking them to the fridge makes it easy to give up - "oops, the magnet let them slip." Write your goals down in a notebook, and every day, write down your successes and failures - what worked and didn't work - and why;
4. Persist: Everyone has setbacks. Why should you be different? That's why you keep notes - to remind yourself of the victories, as well as the losses, and to help you keep track of what you need to change.
5. Strategize: Spend time thinking about HOW you're going to achieve your goal, rather than focusing only on the goal.

For example, most people are going to resolve to lose some weight.

Resolving to lose a couple of pounds every month breaks it into a "bite-sized chunk" - on that you can keep track of in your notebook. Its also a specific goal, as opposed to "I am going to lose weight." Your strategy might be to eat smaller portions, no second helpings, and switching to diet soft drinks. All of these strategies are reasonable, and easy to keep track of.

If your resolution is to be nicer to people, don't just think it - go through your cell-phone's address book and figure out one thing you can do for each person in it - something that is all about them, not you and them.

If your resolution is to fix your finances, start by writing down what you spend ... every penny ... and review it daily to see just where the money is going now. Then, every so often, take something off that list, and put the money towards paying the bills quicker. Or over-pay one specific bill (online banking is good for this) by one-third. If you do this with your cell phone and cable connections, it will be sort of like getting the 4th month free - put that 4th month aside for a rainy day, or use it to make a larger payment on some outstanding debt.