HOW TO MAKE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

January is typically a time to reflect on set goals for the upcoming year. The custom of making resolutions allows you to define your short- and long-term priorities, but that can sometimes feel like a daunting task. Here are some suggestions on how to name and attain your goals.

• First, determine the areas of your life you want to improve, for example: friendships or an intimate relationship, career, education, family, health, personal happiness, and finances, etc. Be really thoughtful here — when you get to the end of your life and you look back, what do you want to see?


• List them all on paper; don’t sell yourself short in this step. The key to reaching goals is awareness — stop the rat race long enough to really think about this. Sit and simply brainstorm for 30 minutes about things that you’d like to achieve or experience, writing down as many things you can think of. There’s no special order to the list or judgments about it. If you are stuck, perhaps think of the qualities of people that you admire, or think of things you loved as a child. Coax ideas out of your head and onto the paper into the realm of possibilities.


• Put the list aside for a day or so. When you come back to the list, quickly cross off half of the ones you can live without. Then, circle the five most important ones. Of the circled, take your top two. Brainstorm again — jot down concrete things you can do towards successfully achieving each goal. Later arrange them in chronological or logical order. Make them reasonable, measurable, and attainable steps with a target date attached. Place reminders on your wall or in your online calendar. Set 30-, 60-, and 90-day goals for the next year. Find someone who is supportive of you who you can share your goals with, and ask them to check in with you every two weeks.

By making your goals and resolutions based upon your values, you will likely have a better chance of success as you define it. Happiness can come from living true to your consciously chosen values. We hope you have a happy, successful, meaningful year.

Read more: How to to Pick a New Year's Resolution and Keep It | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4700208_pick-new-years-resolution-keep.html#ixzz17imR79fm

Photo: Early 20th-century New Year’s resolution postcards from Wikipedia.