The Antidote for Unsuccessful New Year's Resolutions By Kevin Eikenberry

Many people spend some time at the end of the year working on the New Year. These people typically fall into two groups: those who use the end of the year as a way to be introspective and look back on the past year, and those who spend time looking forward; setting goals and planning the coming year.

Actually, there is a much larger third group - the group that intends to do one or the other of these things but ends up doing neither. Why this third group exists is the topic for another article, but reading this article can provide a path to help you if you find yourself stuck in inactivity each December!

Each of the first two groups is doing something positive and helpful, but both are missing something. They are each doing half of the two step process for accelerating your success. Here are those two steps:

- Reflect
- Project

Either of these steps can be useful, however when you place both of them together, you create a powerful synergy. Let's look at each individually.

Reflection...

Reflection is key to capitalizing on your past experiences. Have you ever met someone who seems to make the same mistake repeatedly? This person isn't taking time to reflect on what worked (and what didn't) in their past experiences.

Reflection allows us to learn and grow from our past experiences. You can see why people like to do this at the end of the year - it gives them time to take stock of their year and look for the things they learned.

Doing this reflection successfully though is about more than collecting lessons; it is also about growing from those lessons. Effective reflection leads to an outcome - an intention for applying those lessons in the future, which leads to the second step.

Projection...

Projection is a process of looking forward. When people take time at the end of the year to look ahead and set some goals they are projecting. Projection is planning; thinking about the future, deciding what you want and then expecting success.

When we plan from a perspective of expected success, we plan more thoroughly. And when we plan more thoroughly, we improve our ability to execute on those plans.

As you can see this is a more engaging process than just creating a New Year's Resolution. The good news is that this more integrated approach gives you a much better chance of making your "resolutions" real.

How To Do It...

Now that you know the steps, you may be looking for more guidance on how to do them. While books could be written on specific details and tools, you'd likely rather be reflecting and projecting than reading an in-depth treatise on approaches. So let me make it simple.

Ask yourself questions - Ask yourself questions to reflect on the past year, on the lessons you learned and more.

Ask yourself questions to think about the coming year, what you want to achieve and how you can use the lessons of the past to reach those plans more rapidly.

Asking questions and answering them is one of the most powerful ways to help you reach any new goal or objective.

Only at the End of the Year?

I'm writing this in mid-December and this is definitely a time of year when this two-step approach is helpful. But you can use this approach any time you wish, or any time you are looking for a kick start on success.

Maybe . . .

- Once a quarter

- At your birthday

- At the start (or end) of a new job

- At the start (or end) of a big project

You can reflect and project anytime you want - in fact the more you think in terms of learning from your past and applying it to your future goals and plans, the more you accelerate your progress!

Like many other things in life, the more time you put into these processes the more valuable they will be, and yet simply working on a daily basis with this dual focus of reflection and projection can be helpful as well.
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Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company. To receive a free Special Report on leadership that includes resources, ideas, and advice go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/leadership.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

Read more goal-setting articles from Kevin Eikenberry ...

- Going Beyond Goal Setting
- Goal Believing is the First Step to Goal Achieving
- Seven Reasons People Don't Set Goals and How to Overcome Each of Them

*brought to you by GoalsSuccess.com

Achieve Your Goals Sooner by Implementing By Anne Bachrach

A favorite saying that I've heard over the years is, "the solutions are often obvious once you get the questions right."

Here are a few questions to consider that might help you achieve your goals (maybe even sooner than you thought).

1. Is what I'm doing right now moving me toward my goals?

2. Does my behavior move me toward or away from my goals?

3. Of all the things I could be doing right now with my time, is this really the best thing I can do right now to move me toward my goals? (Or am I just rationalizing that this is moving me toward my goals because I am unwilling or unable to do what I know really needs to be done?)

4. Am I really serious about achieving my goals, or are my goals just something that would be nice to have?

5. Am I inspired to achieve my goals?

My advice: Do the things that move you toward your goals, and stop doing the things that don't move you toward your goals.

Some people say, "It's not that simple." Really? Are you sure? Because it's probably not that complicated!

Most days, most of the things you do should move you toward your goals. Nobody is suggesting that you be perfect. We just encourage you to consider the question, "What would happen if most of what I said and did moved me toward my goals?"

First of all, do you have goals?

Second of all, do you have some compelling reasons behind the goals to drive you to say and do the things that move you toward them? In other words, do you have some reasons to be serious about achieving your goals?

The more reasons you have for achieving your goals, the more likely you are to do the things the goals require to achieve them. Your goals are the tangible what ... and your values are the emotional why behind your goals.

If you are not moving as rapidly as you would like toward your goals, chances are that there is too large of a gap between your current behavior and the most-of-the-time behavior that the goals require to achieve them. Take advantage of the fact that you have the ability to change that. So ... just change that now!

Perfection is not required. Just get with the "Program" so you can achieve your goals for the reasons that are important to you. Have fun and enjoy the results!

© Anne Bachrach. All rights reserved.
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Anne M. Bachrach is President of A.M. Enterprises in San Diego, CA. Anne has 23 years of experience training and coaching. The objective is to do more business in less time through maximizing people's true potential, and ultimately leading them to an even better quality of life. For more information on our services and learning tools, call Anne at 858-456-0160, or e-mail anne@accountabilitycoach.com.

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Make Success Your Intention By Matthew Horne

“We are hard-wired as human beings to stay the course towards the vision that consumes us.” - Matthew C. Horne (The Universe is Inviting You In)

Over the years, I’ve seen many people’s visions come and go, as they create goals with no intended end, leading to an aimless pursuit. As the New Year approaches, it is my intention to help you create a vision that surpasses your current standing, and to help you define the route to actualizing that vision.

It’s one thing to have a vision, and it’s another for your vision to have you. When a vision takes a hold of you, your entire being is consumed by it and nothing will stop you until your vision manifests.

Having a vision is just one key ingredient for success, but measures must always be taken in order to actualize that vision. It is within the scope of who you are to create your vision. This occurs when you take your creative resources that you’ve been endowed with; your faith, energy, and intention, and match it with the vision that’s inside of you.

Until you make your vision your intention, it will remain in the realm of want, as opposed to the realm of actualization. Although your Creator is the composer of events within your life, you still play an intricate role in creating those pictures that appear so vividly in your minds eye.

Never settle when it comes to your vision. Accept nothing but what rings true on the tablets of your heart. The universe responds to precedents. Every vision is accompanied by a level, and when your intention is to manifest on the level of your vision, you’ve established a precedent that must be honored, because this is the object of your intention.

Maybe you’ve heard it in more familiar terms, “According to your faith be it unto you.” The results in your life will never exceed the object of your intention. It is the inescapable essence of who you are as a creator, to create the object of your intention. We all emanate from the Creator, and possess His image and likeness. To view yourself in any other light is to veil the unchanging essence of whom you are.

To possess your Creator’s image and likeness, and not operate in it, is to nullify the reason for your existence. Your Creator would never endow you with His likeness if the purpose was not to operate in it and create just as He does, with an intended end that your intention will create.

In order to create like your Creator, you must first understand how He creates. This can be observed by understanding His thought processes behind us, His most precious creation. Every human being has an intended end and an eternal purpose. Our intended end was established before our physical beginning came to be.

To maximize the creative genius that’s inside of us, our vision, which we’ve been endowed with to carry out our eternal purpose, must be the parameters of the natural steps that we take towards our vision. Your goals should never create your vision; your vision should always create your goals.

As you create in this manner, you’ll create just as your Creator does, and suppress the fallible you, and awaken the eternal you, which is the perfect you.

This day, this week, this year, this lifetime, know that your success begins with a vision, and ends with the wherewithal to see the vision to completion.
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Matthew C. Horne is a motivational speaker and leading authority in maximizing human potential and self-development. He is also the president of Optimum Success International and author of "The Universe is Inviting You In", available at www.MatthewCHorne.com

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Does 30 Days Of Action Create New Habits? By Mario Wells

Just because you will yourself to perform an action for 30 days, does not mean that you have created a habit. By definition, a habit is what guides your actions when you are not acting consciously, and therefore habits are domain of your subconscious mind.

Your subconscious is the collective programming that is an end result (the judgment) of all you have ever heard, said, felt, and experienced, and as such it is a very powerful force to try to overcome. In fact most people live life so unconsciously that who they are from day to day is more a product of habit, than of their conscious mind.

So when attempting to create new habits, if your subconscious believes there is no value to that new action, or that the rewards of not doing it are greater than doing it, when you stop being actively conscious, you will revert to your long established patterns of behavior.

Example: We all know that eating a healthy diet is good for you, but if your body has become habituated to filling your emotional needs through the changes in biochemistry caused by a high fat, high sugar diet, over the course of several decades, your subconscious mind will learn to cling to the rewards of high fat, sugary treats, rather than the discipline of eating well. Dieting is so hard, because you are fighting a battle against your habituated beliefs as well as your body chemistry.

The reason why most New Year's Resolutions fail is that people are so focused on the outcome that they fail to think about why they aren't already there. Doing is important, but until you examine your beliefs and habits, you will keep stumbling before the finish line.

How did you let yourself get 100 pounds overweight? It didn't happen overnight. How did you allow yourself to get months behind in your work? You must identify the habits that support what you do not want, if you want to progress consistently towards what you want.

The greatest challenge of our age is that we have all been taught to look externally for solutions to internal problems. What you experience outside of yourself is just a reflection of what is inside of yourself. The problem is not that it is hard to work without reading your emails, rather that some part of you values reading your emails (or doing anything or nothing) over doing your job.

You can make yourself not read emails, but the habit will remain dormant within you until you either confront the source of your compulsion, or you attach a different value to the task that you habitually avoid. Until you develop a stronger motivation to get things done, odds are you are only putting a band aid on your issue instead of resolving it.

Therefore, when people pursue 30 days of action to make a change, it isn't just the action you take that matters, but more importantly what you believe, think, and feel while committing that action that will determine whether you are creating a habit, or if you are just overriding the subconscious through an exercise in will power.
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Mario Wells is a motivational coach, speaker and writer whose life purpose is to encourage people to overcome the fears that limit them so that they can begin living the life they were born to lead. He is currently working on his first book and anticipates its completion by April 2008. Visit www.WakeUpLife.org for coaching challenges, inspirational quotes, motivational movies, and articles that will help to encourage you to begin living the life of your dreams. Your dream is waiting for you. What are you waiting for?

*brought to you by GoalsSuccess.com

Goal Achieving Made Easy By Sam Crowley

How to Achieve Your Goals...

Chances are, you know of people that seem to be able to succeed at whatever they try their hand at. Other people seem to go from one thing to another without achieving anything of lasting value. For the most part, the keys to achieving goals are fairly straightforward, and can be successfully applied by anyone.

First, you will need to be willing to work towards your goal. This may take a great deal of time and energy. If you are willing to commit your resources to accomplishing something, it is also to your advantage to set goals in such a way that you are more likely to succeed. Motivation, focus, studying the successes of others, and accountability are key elements in achieving all of the things that you want in your life.

Motivation isn't something that you can make happen based on what you think is ideal. Rather, the most powerful forces are the ones that you truly feel right to the core. As the saying goes, if you want something badly enough, you will achieve it. On the other hand, if you do not have this strong feeling, or compulsion, chances are everything you do to achieve a goal will be wasted effort. Therefore, identifying what will motivate you and drive you forward is a key element in achieving your goals.

Once you know what you want, you will need to examine that goal and make sure it is clear and narrow in focus. As an example, if you want to be a writer, the best thing you can do is focus on one type of writing and keep trying until you succeed. On the other hand, if you try to write poetry and screenplays at the same time, chances are you will not achieve success in either genre. While trying different types of writing may broaden your focus, sticking with one will concentrate your efforts much more effectively.

Next, it is important to study people that have succeeded at achieving similar goals. Since they have gotten where they are, chances are they have also encountered the problems that you will come across, and have already figured out how to solve them. This can save you a great deal of time, as well as leave you with more energy to develop your unique message or talent. These people can also serve to motivate and inspire you to continue working at your goals.

For the most part, achieving goals does not happen in a vacuum. Your friends, family, and co-workers also play a key role in helping you achieve success, even if they do not directly take part in your activities. Frequently, the simple act of telling someone that you have a specific goal, or writing about it, helps solidify it in your mind. Once you say you have a goal, the accountability factor also helps drive you forward.

Today, the internet offers many tools to help you speak about your goals and support your achievement. Chances are, you may also find groups of other people that have a similar goal. The support you give and obtain from these people can make the entire goal achievement process one that rewards you with new friends, as well as the actual attainment of something beneficial to your life.

Regardless of whether you choose to write in a blog or in a private journal, making a list of your goals is crucial to developing personal accountability. If you place this list where you can see it often, it will serve as a reminder that you have things to accomplish. Recording the progress you are making is also vital to sustained effort. While you should not dwell on failures, documenting them can help prevent you from making the same mistake again.

Once you have a goal in mind, following through with tangible action can be a rewarding experience all by itself. Unfortunately, many people will put in enormous amounts of effort to achieve objectives, only to fail because they did not keep some very simple things in mind. When you set about achieving your goals from a position of motivation, focus, observation, and accountability, you will have a much greater chance of succeeding.
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Sam Crowley is a motivational speaker and author. Grab his $47 Champion Ebook for free at EverydayIsSaturday.com.

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Focus Pocus: How to Simply Stay Locked on to Your Goals By Jeanna Gabellini

Even though staying focused on your goals and outcomes seems like such an elementary topic, it is an issue for most of my clients. And honestly, I've suffered from scattered focus syndrome on and off much of my adult life.

It is frustrating to feel like you've clarified your goals and then a month later forget what the heck you stated as your goals. Another roadblock is to create the goals but have no plan of action to actualize them.

Some people thrive on detailed goals, plan and lists. I created many of them myself in the past, but what ends up happening is that I never pay attention to the plan after it's made. It gets filed in a drawer or in some file in my Mac.

The only structures and/or plans that work are ones that you follow or pay attention to. You must find something that works for you. A structure that works for me has got to be simple and in front of my face.

My simple system works for just about anyone. I'm warning you, it's not sophisticated or sexy. I create three plans per year. I create one for MasterPeace Coaching, my solo business. Another is for Abundance Abounds, my business with Eva Gregory. And lastly, I have a plan for personal goals.

It starts with clarifying 3-5 goals for the year. It may seem difficult to whittle it down to only a few goals. I start by writing down anything and everything I'd really like to happen for the year. I keep thinking, "Wouldn't it be cool if...". Then I complete the sentence. I don't edit as I go. Then I choose the most important statements. Many of the things I write down end up being actions steps under the top 3-5 goals.

Next I write down all the actions I want to take to support each goal. Some actions might be ways that I need to think and act to get the goal. Then I choose 3-5 goals for the upcoming month that will support the year goals. Next, I choose 3-5 actions for the week I will take to support the month goals. Finally, each day I write down 6 actions to support my weekly & monthly goals.

The purpose of keeping the number of actions/goals small is that is much easier to stay focused. It is also easier to achieve results when you are not saying you are going to complete fifty million things (I'm famous for doing this).

What ends up happening when you keep your focus narrow is that you get the intended results, plus so many other things get accomplished. Why? When you are focused and a rhythm gets created. You get results faster and then you have space in your life to give energy to other goals.

Being scattered creates random or no results. It also kills your self-esteem, as you beat yourself up for never getting what you want.

I'm a firm believer in writing all goals down, as writing is your greatest point of focus. I post my yearly and monthly goals on my office wall. My weekly goals and actions are on my desk right next to my Mac.

Included are my 3-5 goals, all actions and the people I will call that week. I keep both business and personal items on this sheet. My daily actions are in my day planner and I check them off as I go. There are six total and this includes both business and personal actions. A typical list looks like:

1. Walk
2. Workout
3. Call bank
4. Create ezine
5. Send promo to Leslie
6. Call brother

This is it. You have all my secrets now. I know it's primitive, but that's part of why it works. Keep it simple and follow it. Just make sure it works for you.
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Jeanna Gabellini is the Xtreme Abundance Coach. She'll give you all the tools you need to create financial wealth and prosperity with her personal coaching, tele-courses and audio products. Jeanna blends strategy, Laws of attraction and FUN to assist you in creating exactly what you want. Are you ready for Extreme Abundance? Go to MasterPeaceCoaching.com to get your free ezine or call 707-747-0447 for more info.

Sponsor Message: WHAT IF YOU HAD THE SAME MINUTE-BY-MINUTE THOUGHTS AS THE SUPER SUCCESSFUL?
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