Note: there are five follow-up posts to this article….expanding on the ideas below.

Part 1. The “WHY” Matters More Than The “HOW”
Part 2. Make Powerful Goals
Parts 3, 4 and 5 are yet to be written…

It’s about that time year! Everyone is out to make some massive progress on their resolutions for 2008. I went to the gym yesterday and it was totally packed. People were decked out in brand new workout-attire, iPods (even a few Zune’s!) and shoes. Wisdom has shown that these resolution rarely stick, but why not at least give it a shot?This year, take a few steps to make sure that you don’t let your resolutions fall by the way-side.

Over the past year, I’ve worked with dozens of people through the goals-setting and vision board workshops I’ve organized. I’ve also done some extensive training on the topic myself, and learned a lot from my own mistakes. Here are a five quick tips to make your goals stick. Over next five posts on this blog, I’ll elaborate on each of these in more detail.

1. The “WHY” matters more than the “HOW”

Don’t let your brain nix potentially fulfilling goals because you don’t know how they will be accomplished. Ultimately, none of us have complete control over how anything in this world works, so don’t try to make guesses. Let’s take the example of an aspiring marathoner. Let’s say that you have a goal to run your first marathon, but have never run over a mile in your life. Setting a goal to finish a marathon does not and should require that you have all the steps figured out between now and the day of your race. What matters, is that the reason (the “WHY”) is incredibly strong. With compelling reasons, you (and the universe at large) will find a way!

2. Make powerful goals

Don’t set impotent goals! Weak goals are doomed to failure. Back to the marathon runner example….let’s say you really want to do a marathon…but since that seems like too far, you comprise, and instead say you are going to run 2 miles some day on the roads near your house nonstop (your previous best was 1 mile). Is that enough to keep you motivated? Will it get you up early on the weekends with excitement to go train? Is it something you would be proud of accomplishing? Whatever your goal is, it’s OK to dream big….it’s these big dreams that get us excited. For me, I have a goal of stepping on stage in an Amateur Bodybuilding competition within the next 2 years. It is a big goal (one that most people find shocking), but it sure is a powerful one that keeps me motivated.

3. Be specific

Ambiguity is a fact of life, but it is also a source of incredible fear. Uncertainty can paralyze you before you even start. The more specific you can be in shaping your goals, the better chance you have of achieving them. Being specific helps your brain realize that the goal is not just a dream, but a real and tangible thing. For example, instead of saying “I want to make more money next year than last year”….get specific. Figure out exactly how much you want, down to the penny. Don’t worry about how this will happen, or whether the number is too big. Just get specific. For my financial goal, I have actually written a check (made out to myself) and posted it on my vision board. It is made out for a very specific amount of money I expect to bring into my life on a monthly basis within the next few years.

4. Use peer pressure to your advantage

Humans are social animals, and much of our behavior is driven to both serve, lead and gain acceptance from our peer group. Use this fact to your advantage. Don’t be shy about your goals. Keeping them secret helps no-one. Tell your family. Tell your friends. Tell your co-workers. It shows that you are someone who is motivated and could help inspire others to start setting some more compelling goals themselves. People are far more likely to follow-through on a goal when they have other people keeping them accountable. You also never know who in your peer group might have some insights that could help you achieve whatever it is you are after (physically, financially, etc.).

5. Reference them daily

Put your goals in a place that is highly visible. Ideally, you should reference them on a daily basis. Put them on a sheet of paper next to your bathroom mirror. Put them on a poster and hang them in your bedroom (or even better, living room). Out of sight means out of mind. Keep them in a place where you are forced to look at them. Reading them is best, but just glancing at them will jog your memory and get your sub-conscious engaged to help you achieve what you want.

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So there you have it, a few quick tips to help make 2008 the best year ever. My next five posts will focus on each of these tips, and provide a little more explanation into why they matter, and how you can apply them in your own life.