TOP 10 - This New Year's, Resolve to Have Just One Resolution
by Julie Morgenstern

Organizing and time management expert Julie Morgenstern says give yourself a break. Pick a single goal instead of many. Doing so will get your year off to a great start!

When you make too many resolutions, with no plan for achieving them, you wind up abandoning your goals by February and not accomplishing anything. But if you're committed to focusing on a particular resolution and you set specific goals with deadlines, you're much more likely to succeed. Here are tips developed by Morgenstern and FranklinCovey (an international retailer of business and personal planning systems) for how to keep-and meet-your New Year's resolutions:

Don't be overambitious with a list of resolutions that will be difficult to achieve. Choose one goal you are passionate about-one that would give you a sense of great accomplishment to achieve. If you're inspired to have more than one resolution, divide your life into five areas: work, family, community, financial and self. Limit yourself to no more than one goal per category, and be realistic about what you can and can't achieve.

Understanding your reasoning for pursuing a goal will strengthen your resolve to meet it. The "why" connects you to the core values that give your life meaning. Resolutions should align with those values and represent what's most important to you. For example: "I resolve to exercise more." Why? "To boost my energy and strength."

Without a plan, resolutions are broken more quickly. Plan weekly and daily, reserving specific time in your schedule for achieving your goal. If your resolution is to spend more time with your family, at the beginning of each week, schedule family dinners, outings and activities on your calendar.

Writing your resolution will transform your goal into a concrete, specific intention. Keep your step-by-step goals in a planning system, such as a FranklinCovey planner, for daily review. Reading a written plan will help you focus your intentions and make smart choices toward achieving your goal.

It's easier to achieve your resolution if it's not so overwhelming. Break down your goal into smaller projects with a list of the tasks you must complete to finish each project. Assign realistic deadlines for each project and its tasks. 

A resolution is a goal you accomplish over time. Whenever you complete a project or task that moves you closer to your goal, record it in your planning system. Tallying small benchmarks over the course of a week or month is motivating and rewarding because it helps you see your progress.

Don't beat yourself up for going off-track from your resolution. Everyone struggles when making changes or trying to achieve goals. You may fail a number of times, but the key is to not feel guilty and, above all, to keep trying.

Plan rewards you can give yourself for completing a step toward your goal. Celebrate your success with those rewards along the way.

Enlist someone you trust to help you as you work toward your goal. This person should always encourage you (never discourage you) and help celebrate your successes.

If you find you aren't achieving your resolution, take it off your list. You may not be passionate enough about the goal or ready to fulfill it at this time. Doing this isn't a negative thing or a sign of failure. Instead, choose a new resolution you're excited about and ready to achieve.

The only person who can really change you is you. Invest in yourself this year by working on something that will positively impact your life. Choose your resolutions carefully, understand that baby steps are fine, and enjoy making more progress this year than last.

Julie Morgenstern

Julie Morgenstern is the author of Time Management From the Inside Out and Never Check E-mail in the Morning, among other titles. Her organizing system and product line, Time Management Your Way, is available from FranklinCovey. (franklincovey.com/Julie or juliemorgenstern.com).