by Sage Doak

Created on: December 28, 2008

Finding success in your new year's resolutions is often hard to do. For many reasons we set a goal with good intentions but within a short period of time it seems we are further away from our goal then when we started. There are a few things you can do that will make those New Year's resolutions come a lot easier.

New Year's resolutions usually fit into one of a few categories. These are losing weight or increase fitness, quitting something for example smoking or drinking, financial for example have more cash, pay off debt or save to be able to afford something. Spending more time with family or friends is also a common resolution. Most of these resolutions are set up to fail simply because without much thought they don't mean much. Using "SMART" goal setting strategies I will review ways to make success the most likely outcome. Although there are variants of what SMART stands for, it usually stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.

MAKE YOUR GOALS SPECIFIC

Specific means that you can explain to others the who, what, when, where, why and how of the resolution.

For example

Weight loss: I will lose X kgs/lbs by the end of the year. This will make me feel better about myself as well as improve my health. This will be by doing a 30 minute walk every two days and by following a diet (specify the diet)

Quit smoking: I will stop smoking completely the end of March. This will save me money and help my health. I will do this by reducing the number of smokes I have each day, until the end of March where I will have no smokes per day.

Save money: I will save $5000 ($200 a week) by the end of June. This will allow me to pay for X without increasing debt or having to pay interest. I will do this by making a budget and sticking to it.

Spend more time with family: I will take my family out once a week. This includes trips to the park, pool, gardens etc. This will increase the bond between our family members and bring us closer. I will do this by making Sunday family day and refuse to work on a Sunday.

MAKE YOUR GOALS MEASURABLE

Measurable means that you can track your progress by being able to record something about your resolution. You should be able to measure your goals in Dollars (or other currency), Inches/CMs (etc), Amount (Per day etc) or minutes/hours (etc).

For example

Weight loss: I will measure by weight loss by weighing myself once a week. I will do this as the same time each week to account for normal fluctuations. I will record this somewhere I

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