The Women's Empower Hour  

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• Archived Blog Post

  Date / Time: 1/6/2009 1:21 AM UTC

  Achieving Success in 2009 and Beyond
  

  It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone and we are now in the year 2009. For many, the New Year is about starting anew and resolving to make changes in our lives to live our best life.  At the onset of each year, resolutions are made with much anticipation and excitement; however, as the weeks go by, many seem to lose their enthusiasm towards accomplishing their resolutions. 

  Research indicates that only a small percentage of people actually keep their New Year's resolutions. This is not surprising to since many of us have been there and done that. Despite the grim statistics, we have the power to truly be successful in our resolve.  You can break the cycle and make 2009 your best year ever.  Once way of achieving success is with goal-setting.  Goal-setting allows you to map out a plan for your success.  Traditional goal setting practice indicates following the SMART rule. In other words, goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely.

  Specific. Be clear about the goals you wish to accomplish. Don't just say I'm going to lose weight, but rather be specific about how much weight you want to lose and how you will make it happen. To clearly define your goals, ask such questions as: What is my real goal? Why do I want to achieve this goal? How will I accomplish this goal?

  Measurable. Define how you will measure the success of achieving your goals in quantitative terms. A goal that is measurable will help you assess if you are on track toward successfully accomplishing your ultimate goal. Break your ultimate goal into smaller goals. For example, if your ultimate goal is to lose 50 pounds in a year, break up the total pounds you want to lose for the year into weekly manageable pounds. Since there are 52 weeks in a year, you can set a smaller goal of losing a pound a week. Therefore, if you are realizing a pound a week, you are on target toward successfully achieving your ultimate goal of 50 pounds in a year. One of the biggest reasons to establish smaller goals is that these little successes will help keep you motivated toward achieving the bigger goal.

  Attainable. Your goals must be realistic. Setting unrealistic goals only leads to frustration and ultimately you will quit trying. You are truly setting yourself up for failure if you are setting unrealistic goals as well as wasting your time in trying to achieve something that is unattainable. For example, someone with a goal of losing 100 pounds in one month is definitely being unrealistic. It is not that losing 100 pounds is unrealistic, it is the timeframe of one month within which you want to lose the weight that is unrealistic. Someone who wishes to lose 100 pounds in a safe manner will definitely need to plan on more than a month to lose the weight. If your goal is to lose a significant amount of weight, it is advisable to talk with your physician about a realistic plan.

  Relevant. Are the goals you wish to achieve aligned with your values and beliefs? Is this truly a goal you wish to achieve? Oftentimes people fail at achieving their goals because it is not what they really want. Not only is it important to have realistic goals, but it is also important to have goals that you truly want to accomplish. Don't just make goals to impress other people or to live the dreams someone else may have for you. The goals you set for yourself must be the goals you want for yourself. If you are not passionate and committed to your goals, you are less likely to be motivated toward realizing them. In a University of Washington study conducted in 1997, researchers Miller and Marlatt found that commitment was essential to successfully keeping New Year's resolutions.

  Timely. Develop a realistic time frame for which you wish to realize your goals. Don't have open-ended goals. Your goals need a completion date. For example, don't say that you will lose weight without an establish target date. Establishing a target date will push you to continue working toward your goals.

  Now that you know how to successfully set SMART goals for yourself; how will you be incorporating them in your life to make 2009 your best year ever?
  
  I wish you all much success in the New Year.

  Make every day a great day!

  Dr. Deitra C. Payne, Ph.D.
  Women & HOPE Founder

  “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes...but no plans.” ~ Peter F. Drucker

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