Set Goals Not Resolutions

by Barbara Latta

Set goals not resolutions

New diet aids, nutritional supplements, products for better hair, and wrinkle removers all guarantee us a better tomorrow. Talk shows give advice on keeping New Year’s resolutions that will work this year. Buying this sponsor’s product will bring satisfaction or your money back.

Before you get swayed by professional marketing that plays on your emotions, try to take a realistic look at what your goals are for this year. Don’t let a TV commercial make your decisions for you. Examine your life and what you want to change or accomplish and find out what tools you need to reach your goal.

If you want to lose weight, instead of starting a drastic diet, just eat smaller portions of the food you like. Walk a few steps more than you did yesterday.

Don’t start out trying to read the entire book of Leviticus in a day if you want to read through the Bible. Start with the New Testament and read a chapter each day. If you don’t make it through the entire Bible in one year, who says you have to? The point is to develop the habit of reading it.

Our long term goal is to establish some kind of change in our life. To do this we need to:

• ·         Make realistic goals that are achievable and write them down.
• ·         Break the goals into smaller ones that can be done each day.
• ·         Don’t let emotional marketing decide what your goals are.
• ·         Don’t get frustrated if you miss a daily goal. Just keep going tomorrow.

If we can learn to be consistent in working our daily goals, we will soon see the long term ones achieved. Navigating New Year’s resolutions doesn’t have to be a dreaded chore.

Have a Happy New Year and enjoy the ride!