New Year's Resolutions - Developing a Plan to Achieve a Goal
By
Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD
Each year people make New Year’s resolutions as a declaration of
commitment to themselves to make changes in their lives. Have you wondered
how effective resolutions are? Do you achieve your New Year’s resolutions?
If you achieve your New Year’s resolutions you are in the minority. Surveys
suggest that less than one percent of New Year’s resolutions are achieved.
It is merely a ritual people have followed for decades. The question is, “Do
you want to make changes in your life?” Making a resolution to accomplish
something without a plan to achieve it is like putting gasoline into a car
that doesn’t have an engine.
Developing a Plan to Achieve a Goal is surprisingly simple. There are
many plans one can use to achieve a goal. The easiest goal-setting plan I
use is four steps. See, Think, Plan, Act.
Step I: See: See the situation/issue/habit/behavior as it currently
is—Describe it, Define it, Analyze it.
Step II: Think: Think about what you want instead of the current
situation or how you want to change an issue/habit/behavior. What would the
new situation/issue/habit/behavior look like? Who is involved in the
situation/issue/habit/behavior? Who needs to be involved to create the
change? Who will benefit from the change? How will I convince those involved
to go along with the change?
Step III. Plan. What steps do I need to take to achieve the change?
Research the various aspects of your plan. Check for feasibility, viability
and possibility. Set a ‘by when’ date. ‘By when’ will I act on my plan?
Step IV: Act. Implement the first step of your plan. When you have acted
on the first step of your plan, you have now arrived at Step I again.
Step I: See: What is the current situation/issue/habit/behavior after
taking the first step? Has the action I took in Step VI created the change I
wanted? Am I happy with the result? If the answer is ‘Yes,’ continue to
follow the plan created in Step VI one step at a time. If the answer is No,
proceed to Step II.
Step II: Think: What didn’t work? What do I need to change to get the
result I want? Who do I need to talk with to help me? Continue to analyze
the current situation/issuehabit/behavior until you have thoroughly analyzed
the outcome of your initial action. Proceed to Step III—
Step III: Plan: What changes are required? Who needs to be involved? When
all aspects have been analyzed, Proceed to Step IV again.
Step IV: Act: Once you have carried out one aspect of your plan you are
back to Step I.
Goal achievement is that simple. When people do not reach their goals it
is not because the goal was a ‘bad’ goal it is because people do not have an
effective Plan to achieve the goal or they fail to act on their plan and/or
analyze each aspect of the plan as the plan unfolds to determine if the plan
is achieving what they intended to achieve. ###
THOUGHTS TO PONDER : When you know that what you're doing is right,
nothing will be able to stop you. When you are absolutely convinced of the
true value of your efforts, you'll have the courage and the persistence to
see them through. To believe in what you're doing is not just important. It
is everything.
Anything less cannot possibly succeed. For any accomplishments you reach
while living a lie will ultimately be of no value.
It is not always easy to live true to your highest values, true to your
authentic self, true to what you know is right. Yet it is always your best
choice.
When you deny what you know is right in order to follow the expediency of
the moment, the benefits you gain are trivial and fleeting. Choose instead
to live each moment true to the highest values you know.
Then, who you become will be the fulfillment of who you truly are. Why
would you ever want to be anything less?
--Ralph Marston
Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach has 25 years experience in
Personal and Professional issue. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business
Administration and Psychology, a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work and
a Doctorate in Philosophy. She has consulted with Fortune 100 companies,
professionals and entrepreneurs.
http://www.drdorothy.net
http://www.gen-assist.com
dmneddermeyer@gen-assist.com
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