Forget New Year Resolutions! Accomplish More with Less

This is the time of year everyone makes new year resolutions - goals they hope to, but rarely achieve, in the coming year. This annual ritual of setting oneself up for failure is far more disappointing than celebratory because our lists are recycled for the most part. Last year's goals we failed to achieve find themselves back on the list year after year, with an occasional check mark or cross-off.

Personally, I have found a much better solution that will help you achieve far greater results, FAST!

Forget the NEW year and focus on each NEW DAY! Every day we awaken and rise is a brand new day and a new opportunity to accomplish something we "resolve" to achieve. While most people will immediately scoff at what I'm about to say, I have found it to be much more manageable and produces far greater results than new year resolutions.

First, it's great to have long-range goals and vision. In fact, having vision gives us purpose.

But, far too often, we focus on the one-year, five-year, or ten-year plan, which overwhelms our senses with what seems to be unattainable or gives us a false sense of time. In other words, we tell ourselves, "Oh, it's still five years away. I've got time." And we permit ourselves to procrastinate.

One thing we have learned is that time waits on no one, and soon the time we thought we had is now a thing of the past and we're looking at a the passing of a year, wondering where it all went!

This leads to disappointment because we didn't accomplish nearly what we intended. Instead of focusing strictly on the one-year, five-year, ten-year plan, we should set ourselves up for a daily plan - small, attainable goals that will produce far greater results in the end.

Because humans are creatures of habit and often the demise of their own downfall, we tend to concentrate on all the things we "failed" to achieve versus our accomplishments. So, I encourage you to create a SUCCESS JAR.

While this may sound cliche (and the good majority of men will refuse to do it out of pride), we tend to be visual learners, and this jar will visually help us realize our successes faster.

Start with a mason jar or any clear jar with a lid.

At the end of each day, write down on a small piece of paper, the things you achieved for that day and place them in the jar. Some days may have an entire list, while other days may have only one thing. But, as you visually see the paper filling up the jar, you'll realize you are accomplishing more and more each day.

At the end of the year, start a new tradition where you pull out all the papers inside the jar and read them to yourself. This will encourage and inspire you because it will serve as not only a visual aid, but also your list of achievements for that year.

For some, merely getting out of bed in the morning is an accomplishment due to health issues or for others, losing one pound for that day is something worth celebrating. Whether big or small, celebrate the small successes in life, and soon, they'll add up to greater things.

Before you know it, your one-year, five-year, ten-year plan will be achieved, one simple step and one day at a time!

Have a safe and happy new year!

---