by Lindsey Linge

Created on: December 11, 2008   Last Updated: December 15, 2008

Are you sick of the same story year after year? You say that this year you're going to lose weight, get out of debt, quit smoking and spend more time with your family. But come February, you've forgotten all the goals you set and are not a step closer to achieving them.

Research from McGill University offers hope for lousy goal-achievers. The first step? Pick a goal that matters to you. All of the intention in the world is useless unless it is directed at something that is achievable. It is crucial to pick goals that reflect individual interests and personal values. This creates a willingness to exert more effort, reduces conflict, and gives a greater sense of readiness to change behavior.

Choosing to do something out of social pressure, whether actual or imagined, decreases the chance of it getting done. It doesn't matter if all your friends want to go jogging each morning; if you'd prefer to do yoga every other day, then that's the goal you are more likely to follow through with.

While choosing a goal because someone else wants to you is inefficient, the involvement of others need not be. A good support system can motivate you to work harder at your goal. Ideally, choose people that reinforce the feeling that the goal is your own choice. Health care professionals can be particularly helpful, especially if your goals are related to self-improvement and health. A doctor can assist you in losing weight and a therapist can support you as you strive to stop procrastinating.

In order to maximize effectiveness, it helps to plan when, where and how activities and behaviors related to the goal are performed. Are you gong to work on your online classes in the mornings or in the evenings? If you plan on cutting down on desserts, will you do this when you are at home or when you go out to eat? What areas will you cut spending in so that you can save up for a new car?

While reaching goals can create a profound sense of fulfillment, much of the joy is in the journey. Knowing that you are making positive changes in your life every time you make a bit of progress can be more rewarding than the end goal itself. By choosing goals that allow for an enjoyable process it is easier to stick to the plan.

This will be the year that you succeed! Choose your goals carefully, keeping in mind what matters the most to you. Write out a specific plan detailing when, where and how you will work towards your goals. Find people who will support you in your positive choices, and enjoy the process! If your goals aren't fun and fulfilling, you didn't pick the right ones to start with!

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