*Resolutions or Nah?*

As the calendar turns to a new year,  are busy not only preparing themselves for the evening's festivities but they are also making their new year's resolutions.

I, for one, don't make them. New Years resolutions, that is. I believe in many cases these hastily made resolutions are a set up for disappointment and failure. "I'll begin to diet today." "I'll start going to the gym today." 

How is it that by simply making these declarations at midnight on new years eve are these resolutions to become a reality? Determination, goal-planning both make it work. And why wait until a new year to set a goal? Why not begin right away? What motivates us to make these resolutions?

I have on-going goals (resolutions if you must) that I make and work on throughout the year. I set them, write them out, share them with a select few and find someone who will hold me accountable to these goals.  You need someone who will not only hold you accountable but who will encourage you as well. Partner up with someone who is positive, someone who has successfully accomplished what you wish to accomplish.

Think your goals through. Make them realistic. Write them down in as much detail as possible. Envision the steps, the process, the end results. Think about this often. Submerse yourself in it.

Enjoy each step along the way. You may become frustrated; that's okay. You may become discouraged when it seems it isn't coming together quite as planned or fast enough. Keep going. Don't give up. Even small steps will eventually get you to where you want to be. Have patience! (Not a great strength for me! Admittedly!) 

New Years resolutions tend to be made in haste, when the clock is chiming midnight. They are not necessarily well thought out, though they are well-intended ideas, they are short-lived ideas. Don't wait until the clock chimes, the confetti falls, begin now. Jump right in.