Did you create New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of the year?  How long did they last before you gave up - a month, a week, a day?  Would you like next year to be different?  If so, read on.

A resolve is a declaration or firmness of intent.  “I resolve to lose thirty pounds.”  “My New Year’s resolution is to stop smoking.”  Our declarations of intent are genuine.  Unfortunately, they lack the sustaining substance that keeps us pushing ahead when the resolve becomes weak.

Anytime you undertake an endeavor that is either foreign to your nature or experiences, you will begin the process with great enthusiasm and energy.  After a while however, the novelty of the experience wanes and the exercise becomes drudgery.  “If I have to eat one more celery stalk or one more rice cake, I’ll scream!”  After our resolve has dissolved, we fail.

That dissolution needn’t occur with this year’s resolutions if you take some simple measured steps.  Instead of declaring New Year’s resolutions, write out two or three goals that you want to accomplish over the course of the next year.  For example, the goal is to lose ten pounds.

After defining the goal, first answer the question, “Is the goal SMART?”  Well, of course, losing ten pounds is smart, but that isn’t the kind of smart we’re talking about.  SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.  Is losing ten pounds specific –yes, measurable – yes, attainable - yes, realistic – yes, and timely –yes.  After making sure that your goal is SMART, the next question to answer is, “What steps will I have to take to successfully achieve the goal?”  In the example of losing ten pounds, I shall need to:
1.Cut back on dessert.
2.Walk more.
3.Stop eating when full.
4.Cut back on fat intake.
We have just identified four steps that need to be followed in order to lose ten pounds.  This sounds simple, but there’s more.

The next exercise is to examine each step and to break it down by answering the question, “What do I need to do to accomplish each identified step?” 
1.Cut back on dessert:
a.Only indulge in one dessert per day.
b.After three months, begin sharing one dessert per day instead of having my own.
c.After six months, begin limiting dessert to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and either share the dessert or eat only half of it.
2.Walk more:
a.Walk thirty minutes per day two times weekly.
b.After one month, increase thirty minute walk to three times weekly.
c.After three months, increase walk to four times per week.
d.After six months, increase thirty minute walk to forty-five minutes.
e.After nine months, increase walking intensity by incorporating light jogging or running with the walk.
3.Stop eating when full:
a.Chew each bite twenty times.
b.Put the utensil down between bites.
c.Stop eating after thirty minutes whether still hungry or not and don’t eat again for at least forty-five minutes. 
4.Cut back on fat intake:
a.Begin reducing the amount of butter cooked with by replacing it with olive oil or safflower over three months.
b.Use only one pat of butter on baked potatoes at restaurants.
c.Use jam on toast instead of butter and jam.
d.Reduce the number of fried meals to one per week.
e.Add at least one meal of fish and one meal of chicken to weekly menu.

We have just created a plan that ensures success in losing ten pounds, but something is still lacking.  There have to be deliverables. Deliverables are proof that the plan is working.  Of course, ten pounds is the ultimate goal or deliverable, but there also needs to be incremental deliverables throughout the year, not only to validate the plan, but also to keep your enthusiasm and energy level up.   The incremental deliverables are to lose one pound per month after two months. 

There have not been any drastic lifestyle changes made.  Instead, we have implemented small, yet deliberate steps throughout the course of the year with deliverables to test success.  Granted, if a more aggressive goal is desired, a more aggressive plan will be necessary.  The key to success however, is that there is a SMART goal, a plan to get there, and a measurement tool to keep you focused with milestones to celebrate along the way. 

Now that you have the tools, set SMART goals, create a plan, and celebrate each milestone as you reach it. Make this your year to succeed! 

Deirdre Davison, President of Metanoia Consortium, is a Professional Coach and Consultant and author of the Quickstart Guide for Self-Employment and The Itty Bitty Vision Book. She can be reached at 803-802-7773 or ddavison@metanoiaconsortium.com

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