One important point to consider is the setting of milestones or deadlines on the road to its completion.

To establish a goal without setting a specific time within which to accomplish it… is to give it the lowest priority. Look at your goals and see how much priority you give it… do you have dead lines for your projects? How important is your future if you have no dates with destiny?

After all, if you don’t set a time requirement, you have
“ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD”

How much effort do you put into something now that has no time requirement?

Setting a time frame helps you establish a sense of urgency that will help in motivating you and helps you determine which tasks must be accomplished first.

Long range goals >> that’s exactly what they are LOOOONG Range (they are more like WANTS… and soooo farrrrr into the future that they are FUZZY). Some long term goals are 5 years down the road… sheez, do
you know how much can happen in just 6 months, let’s not even think 5 years!

By establishing intermediate and short-term goals we increase not only the sense of urgency, but also the sense of ACCOMPLISHMENT and the sense of moving forward towards your long term goals.

Understanding what you want… and then creating an action plan 3 months to 6 months will help you pace yourself into the future.

So the key to becoming successful at attaining your goals is to establish the time frame in which you wish it to be accomplished and then:

FOLLOW UP!

The second step to successful goal attainment is understanding that no time frame has CREDIBILITY unless someone is held accountable for the goals attainment. Find an accountability partner.

When working on your own personal goals, set DAILY objectives for yourself and keep track of them. For example, each day make a list of things you wish to accomplish. Prioritize them and do not begin work on the lower priority items until you have completed those with the highest priority.

If you don’t have a goal, ANY DIRECTION YOU GO IS AS GOOD AS ANOTHER.

I’m sure by now you have sat down and put together your goals for the New Year, this may include also your Resolutions.

I propose that your resolutions include tying up lose ends, finishing up with old projects. It is a bit daunting to embark on new projects with old ones lingering. Like many of us, I am sure that you had all good intentions to accomplish all the things you had set forth in the beginning of the year.

When we have things we do not finish there is a part deep within our core that nags at us.

What are some of the things that you have left undone or unresolved?

Get a paper and pencil right now and write them down… yes, even if you may think they are insignificant:

• an unsent thank-you card
• not having changed the oil in the car
• a disorganized desk, car, closet or drawer
• desiring to spend more time with your family, but not making it a priority
• not making time for self-care
• needing to leave a destructive relationship, but lacking the courage to walk away

As you create your list of UNFINISHED BUSINESS it is important that you “check-in” with your feelings. Our body tells us when we are not comfortable with something, and unfinished business can create unbalance in our being.

As tasks build up and errands go unfinished our life becomes less manageable, sometimes we even become stressed and out of balance. The best analogy I can use is a desk… how slowly it becomes cluttered with paperwork and before we know it we can’t locate anything.

When things go unfinished we may experience any of the following:

• feelings of guilt, anxiety or depression
• irritability or anger
• distractions and disappointments
• procrastination
• diminish our self-esteem and self-confidence
• unable to enjoy more out of life

If you take a few minutes to truly go deep into your feelings you may discover that your unfinished business has caused more damage than you had planned…because as human beings we tend to turn to something physical to block anything that makes us feel uncomfortable such as over eating, excessive drinking, sleeping or some other behavior that allows us to cope with the situation.

Now that we understand that balance is important, let’s go back to that list you wrote and focus on what you can do to FINISH those task you had started. When you finish those old projects you will open new possibilities, ultimately you will enjoy more balance and success.

• Go though your list and determine how you will handle each item.

What can be dealt with immediately?
What can be delegated?
What needs to be scheduled for a later date?
What resources do you need to accomplish certain tasks?

Next…Write down your plan of action.

• Remove things from your list as you accomplish them. Most important you may discover that some of the projects you had started no longer serve you – Remove them!

By RESOLVING to start with UNFINISHED BUSINESS you can start the New Year with a clear picture of what is important to accomplish and what you are willing to let go of.

Among your greatest accomplishments for the New Year – Balance and success will be a bi-product of your journey.

Daisy Says: On your mark, Get ready…. FINISH!

Have you ever created such a list?

How have you done in achieving the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of 2009? Did you make any progress? Was it more like one step forward and two steps back?

As you look toward 2010, what’s your plan to keep yourself growing, learning and achieving throughout the year?

What are your goals for your career, your relationships, your spiritual life?

If you want something more…something different to happen in your business life, your personal life or with your physical body… you need to have RESOLVE…yes that’s like RESOLUTION.

Do you want to get yourself going in a new direction?

“To be terrific, you must be specific!”

You can’t expect to receive something that’s vague, you need to get close and personal with your goals.

Develop a practical plan of action and get started immediately. Chart out where you want to be in relation to your goal in the next month, six months, one year, five years and ten years. Get started today. Write it all out.

Want to earn more money?

What is the exact amount you desire? Be realistic yet make it better than your best so it’s a bit of a challenge as well as something that excites you. Then, take that number and break it down. How many sales must you make to earn that income? How many presentations do you need to make before getting a sale? Write down that number. How many contacts do you make in order to get a presentation?

Decide the amount of energy you are willing to expend to reach your goal. How many hours are you willing to work a day? How many jobs are you willing to hold down? What sort of work are you willing to do?

Go apply for that same principal to each goal NOW!

The most important thing with all of your goals is that they are believable.

If you believe you can achieve them, you will.

If you have them broken down to what you can do each day, they’ll be in your planner each and every day.

If you want 2010 to be more successful than 2009, you need to think differently, plan differently, and act differently. You may need fresh creative ideas, and different skills.

And finally, take time to review your plan every morning and every night and envision yourself taking these steps, DOING THEM and SUCCEEDING!

Do whatever it will take to achieve them. Twelve months from now you’ll look back with pride at what you’ve accomplished and who you’ve become.

Daisy Says: Believe and Achieve.