Think back to the beginning of 2005. Like most, you started the new year with many goals. What goals did you set? Maybe 2005 was the year you were going to lose weight, get a better job, make more money, meet someone or quit smoking.

How did it go?

2005 has come to an end. How many of those goals did you accomplish? It's ok to admit that you didn't accomplish what you thought you would or even worse, what you knew you could have. Recognition is the first step toward creating positive changes.

New Year after New Year you reflected on the past and promised yourself that this New Year would be different. You had goals and you made "resolutions" that you would accomplish what you failed to accomplish in the past, and yet you repeated the same behavior and did not accomplish your goals.

Albert Einstein said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results." Why do you expect changes if you keep setting goals the same way? Are you really expecting to accomplish them? You need to take a different approach. Unless you are willing to change your approach you will be ending 2006 the same way you have ended 2005 and, once again, nothing will have changed.

Though setting and achieving a goal does not require the start of a new year, it does have a psychological effect. You feel like you are given the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. The reason you want to wipe the slate is because of what you did not achieve. Individuals who achieve their goals don't want to start fresh; they want to remember and continue to build upon their past success.

As successful individuals achieve their goals, they are constantly setting new goals and forward momentum is maintained, producing endless results. You do not need a new year to get into action. What you need is to be resolved to produce results in your life. That is what making a resolution means, to be resolved to change behavior.

In the past you did not achieve your goals because you wanted to get the results without changing your behavior and following the steps to success. Well, Einstein said it right; it is crazy to think that the same old patterns will get new results.

This New Year, let's start forward motion by achieving goals continually. Here are the action steps to achieve your goals and produce success in your life:

1. Start out small. Don't think about huge sweeping changes that you want. Pick small goals that you can achieve in the next 30-60days.


2. Become resolved and committed to your goals by writing them down and signing your name to them.


3. Read your goals out loud every day and ask yourself what behavior and actions are needed today to achieve them. In the past you made goals and got busy and those goals were quickly forgotten. Remind yourself daily.


4. Take the action you decided on that day. Every inch you move forward gets you closer to your goal.


5. At the end of your day, read your goal again out loud and ask yourself if you did everything you could to achieve it. Make necessary adjustments on your actions the next day when reading your goals again.


6. Achieve your goals within 30-60 days.


7. After achieving your goals, immediately make new 30-60 day goals and repeat the process.

Follow these seven steps to success and at the end of 2006 you will be celebrating a successful pattern of behavior that will bring you endless results for years to come.

©2005

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