MaXIMIze - Resolutions versus Goals

Well, we are now 10 days into the new year - how are you doing with your New Year's resolutions?

One thing I noticed when I used to go to the gym was that during January, the gym would be packed with people. By mid-February, though, the crowds would thin out again and we regulars could use our favorite machines in peace once more. I noticed the same thing at the start of every semester when I was in college. The parking lot and the classrooms would be full to the gills at the beginning and then a few weeks into it, you could actually get a parking space and a desk without a problem.

You'll notice the title of this blog is Resolutions versus Goals. Resolutions are great, however, in order to follow through on them, you need to set clear, concise, achievable goals.

We've discussed this topic before in this blog, most notably in the post from January 26, 2014, titled Values, Goal Setting, and the Five Whys.

If you make a resolution or set a goal without a clear reason as to why you are doing so, and I mean why YOU are doing so, not why someone else wants you to do so, then you are setting yourself up for failure.

I'll give you an example from my own life.

I've touched on the fact that dealing with my financial piece of life has been a struggle for me. Well, I worked through getting out of debt - except to myself - over the last two years, and am currently debt-free, have money in the bank, and am getting funds back on my taxes for the first time in the last four years.

Why did I do this - what was MY reason for doing so, not someone else's? Freedom, pure and simple. That, and not leaving a mess for my children to clean up. Which is why I am following through on the last goal to meet my resolution of having my financial life in order - getting all my financial paperwork - rental agreement on my apartment, credit card statements, bank statement, insurance policies, titles to my cars, annual benefits information, etc. - in one place and getting my wishes recorded and codified.

I found a Trapper Keeper binder on clearance at Office Depot, and lined up my paperwork in the plastic document protectors you can put in binders. I still have some things to do (make copies of my credit and debit cards to put in the binder, for example), but I have made major strides towards moving my rating of my financial health from a 5 last year to an 8 or higher by the end of this year.

CALL TO ACTION: Take one resolution you made for the new year and break it down into clear, concise, achievable goals. Then, move out on those goals.

Next time, we will discuss moving from Bitching to Bragging, how to move from a place of lack to a place of abundance.

Until then, Namaste!

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Questions, comments? Feel free to contact me at the email address below.

Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com