Goal Setting For Success in 2010

2010 is here whether you were ready for it or not. Trailing in its sparkly, sugary, tempestuous wake are dozens of New Year’s Resolutions—lose those extra five pounds, spend more time with your kids, learn all the presidents in alphabetical order, take the time to appreciate your family by sharing memorable moments.

The New Year is a symbol of another chance to “get it right,” an annual beacon of hope. But hope isn’t just passively wishing and waiting for something to happen. Hope leads to the drive to set and pursue goals, to take risks and initiate action. Hope fuels problem-solving and helps children (and parents alike) develop personal strengths and social resources.

But how can you teach yourself and your children to set goals in a manner that will actually lead to success?

There are many different approaches to goal setting, what we want is for you to have a system that works for YOU!

Consider these easy to master steps to success.

1. Set Specific and Measurable Goals. Write them down!
2. Set initial goals that you can achieve within a week or so.
3. Give yourself a healthy reward or do yourself a solid when you meet your goal.
4. Anticipate set-backs and breathe past them, you can start again meeting your goal right now!
5. Keep all your plans on paper, write it, post it, celebrate it!

FishfulThinking.com, Listplanit.com and Cozi.com give moms tools to organize, set positive goals, develop systems of appropriate rewards, and promote strategies of thinking that will enable your family members to go after whatever they want in life. If you are looking for a book to begin your goal setting consider Goal Setting 101 by Gary Ryan Blair.

Set yourself up for success. Each year, each day, each moment, is a new beginning.