Wednesday, December 31, 2008

This Year I'll Keep My New Years Resolution


Guilty as charged. Year after year I have the best intentions. I make resolutions to be healthier, or more understanding, more charitable, or less sensitive. On the 2nd day of the year I have clearly delineated means to achieve my seemingly realistic goals. By the 2nd week of the year I'm slipping, and when the 2nd month of the year roles around, I've fallen off the wagon. I always feel the same - let down, disappointed, and overly self-critical.

My resolutions are never overly-ambitious, they are typically good lifestyle goals. I, like many others, use the new year to jump start the me I really want to be, next November, next year, or ten years from now. So, why am I so overwhelmed and destined for faltering?

Management expert Peter Drucker recommends the acronym SMART when formulating your new year's plan.
S - think of specific, not general, goals.
M - measure your success
A - set achievable goals
R - be realistic
T - timing, in other words, set time lines.

Instead of approaching my new years resolution with lackadaisical effort and setting myself up for disappointment, I plan to treat my endeavor as carefully as I would an important assignment. After all, if I'm willing to commit to it, it better be important. Otherwise, it is a waste of time. Here's to 2009! Good luck.

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