All over the world, millions of New Year's, or New Life, resolutions are being made every December or January. You know the kind - things people have told themselves all year they "really should change” but have put off for that special time of year held sacred for the justification of procrastination and the seduction of "feel-good” self-deception. Many of these "resolutions” have been carried forward year after year after year, and instead of being considered "resolve”-lutions, might properly be called "revolve-a-lutions.” That's because for most people, it is a "re-try” or a "do-over” (when it was never actually done before). It is an attempt to come up with a "better way” for a "better life” or "better outcome” and is a "Re-solution” - an attitude of "I'm finally going to solve it, but "for real” this time. Here we go again!

Who do you know that doesn't wish for success? But without a plan and structure to insure it, most of us are doomed to fail. Are you like them? For too many people, the closest thing to a plan is to "wait until New Years” to say it and having said it, they expect credit for it as well as the results for having done it. It's like trying to put a square goal in a round hole. It either won't fit, or won't stay put. Too often, our resolutions are not compatible with our belief systems or our core system of values. They just "don't fit” and that is one of the reasons they have been put off in the first place. Generally, we need to change (or "round-out”) the goal, or find a reason and the ability to change the existing system of holes. Another major reason people fail their resolution is they have not made a truly committed decision. Without a plan for success these are just stand-alone goals or more accurately, stand-alone wishes.

The great success teachers of our time teach the long-proven truth that the power of written goals works wonders. A study at a major ivy-league university tracked the 1980 business school graduating class for the next fifteen years. It revealed the following with regard to the class in 1980:

* 83% of the class had no specific goals (only general goals like "get a job”, "make lots of money”, etc.)

* 14% had specific goals, but they were not written

* 3% had specific goals that were written

After fifteen years:

* the 14% with specific, but unwritten goals earned 3 times more than the 83% without specific goals

* the 3% with specific, written goals earned 10 times more than the 83% without specific goals

You don't have to be an ivy-league MBA to benefit from this knowledge! Can you imagine the difference in your self-image, self-confidence and in your relationships with others resulting from this kind of planned success? What can you do to gain these kinds of results in ALL areas of your life? Some suggestions are:

1. Having help identifying personal strengths;

2. Becoming clear on personal values;

3. Developing clearly defined goals for all major areas of life integrated around your values;

4. Determining strategies to gain them;

5. Developing an action-oriented road map to att

6. Designing a structure or support system that will hold you accountable to the committed decisions made.

These major areas are not independent, but are inter-dependent and a struggle with one affects all the others.

Additionally, with this done, your goals became more obvious and natural and because they have a "place to fit into” there is a built-in support structure that not only optimizes success, but promotes and even attracts it. Such goals can comfortably be addressed any time of the year, not just at year-end. It doesn't have to be a difficult process and it doesn't have to be done alone. Some of the most successful, top-performing individuals in a variety of fields have help and are coached through the process. You probably have heard, or personally know of some.

Success by design, and living your life by choice -- not by chance -- is an incredibly powerful concept. Simply stated, when you define it, then design it, developing a burning desire to achieve it and making committed decisions that you'll keep become much more natural. There is a real and focused power that is unleashed from within you. There is an old adage that "people don't plan to fail, they just fail to plan.” Perhaps, nowhere is that more applicable and more important than with regard to those areas in our lives and businesses in which we feel a need to make real and significant change. The sad truth is that most people spend more time planning their Christmas card list, their annual company party or their vacation than they spend planning their life. Instead of planning to make a resolution, I encourage you simply to resolve to make a plan and commit to taking action on it. Then, instead of just hoping for the fulfillment, opportunity and success that you believe could accompany such change, you can plan on it!

To your success!

(c)Larry H. Gassin