New Years Resolutions versus Real Life Goals

Here is an article that appeared in Yahoo News and
other media outlets. This is vital success knowledge
and thus us being included here.

By Vic Johnson

Forget New Year's Resolutions - They
Don't Work

Goal setting expert explains real success lies in life plans,
not in making resolutions.

"You can forget about making New Year's Resolutions
if you're hoping for a successful outcome. Most aren't
worth the paper they're written on," says Vic Johnson,
a leading goal setting and motivation expert.

Most New Year's Resolutions have gone by the wayside
before January is over and most won't even be remembered
six months later.

And the reason is pretty simple.

Most are made in response to something negative; a
habit or situation that the person wants to change or
end.

And therein lies the problem - it's hard to develop
momentum from a negative response. It is always
easier to move toward something than away from
something.

Consider one of the most adopted goals --- weight
loss. No one can get excited about losing weight - it
requires deprivation. It's a negative response to
concerns about appearance, health, etc. The results
of weight loss New Year's Resolutions demonstrate
their weakness.

A survey sponsored by Gardenburger found that
more than three-fourths of all women between the
ages of 25 and 54 make diet and weight-loss plans
each year.

Nearly nine of 10 respondents reported only
occasional or no success, while almost half lost little
or actually gained weight instead.

"The people who succeed at losing weight and
maintaining the loss have usually been motivated
by a dream much bigger and more positive than
just losing weight," explains Johnson. "They see
themselves living a healthy lifestyle. They begin
to act and think like people who are in good
physical shape.

"There's more of a radical change in a person's
thinking and actions than you see with most
resolutions. It wouldn't be possible to effect and
sustain such a radical change unless the person
is motivated by a big dream that is positive in
nature."

Another popular aim is to quit smoking. Johnson
himself was a three-pack-a-day smoker until he
celebrated a smoke-free New Year's sixteen years
ago.

"For over twenty years I had tried to quit many
times using every tool and technique I'd hear about.
But as long as I was trying to quit, I couldn't break
the grip.

"Instead, I developed a dream to become a non-
smoker. I fell in love with the idea of breathing
clean air instead of smoky air, of my body and
clothes smelling nice instead of smoky. I thought
about how wonderful it would be to taste food
again."

"I decided to start acting and thinking like a non-
smoker, and when the thinking took hold I simply
quit smoking. In all the years since, I've never
wanted another cigarette, never even thought
about wanting one."

According to Johnson, the best goal to set
is one that calls for the individual to create
a plan for their life based on a set of personal
dreams.

"Most people are in a free-fall through life,
careening from one crisis to the next. If you
were going to build a new house and you had
this idea for a fabulous master bedroom suite,
you wouldn't rush out and start building the
master bedroom. You'd have a complete plan
before you started."

"When you approach resolutions and goals in
the same manner, you end up with a much
better chance of achieving success."
# # #
(end of article)

This blog is about wealth building. It is a subject
that most people love to think about but only 5%
actually DO for real. Sad but true.

May be a bit unpleasant to think of, but it is very
much like quitting smoking or getting in shape. It
is not the ONE SHOT IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION
that this lazy society adores. It takes some planning
and work and a lifetime commitment.

So you can take the hard way out and do nothing
and then one day die broke or end up in your best
retirement years with only your shirt on your back.

Or you can decide that you need A LIFE CHANGE
and make a commitment that will improve the
ENTIRE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

Anything worth accomplishing takes some work. So
you have a choice. Start now and you can be wealthy
in 10 years.

Good luck, a happy holiday season to you and wishing
you the best for 2009 and beyond!


Ron Sedlak
http://www.wealthbuildingenterprise.com/
Practical Solutions for Sensible People