Many people, myself included, make Resolutions for the coming year to improve their life in one or more areas. Research says that only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s Goals.

Following are Five questions you can answer that may be just the thing to give yourself greater opportunity for success. The questions are:

1. Why do you want to make the change?
   1. Write down your “Why”. Make it part of your everyday experience.
   2. When you’re tempted to stop, your “Why” may be enough to get you back on focus.
2. Is your goal concrete and measurable?
   1. Make S.M.A.R.T. goals
   2. Check out this online resource for a great example:
      Brian Tracy and S.M.A.R.T. Goals
3. What is your plan?
   1. If you were going to travel to the nearest city and you’ve never traveled there, you would find a map and familiarized yourself with the roads, highways and landmarks along the way.
   2. Achieving your goal is no different.
   3. Plan your journey.
4. Who can support you as you work toward change?
   1. Jethro, the father in law of Moses, (Moses was God’s Leader of the Israelite people nearly 3,000 years ago!) gave Moses some great advice that increased Moses’ opportunity to become a better leader.
   2. If Moses needed a coach and accountability, there’s a great chance you could benefit from a similar relationship.
   3. Ask yourself who can guide you, counsel you and hold you accountable? When you have that answer, seek them out and ask them to be your “Jethro”.
5. How will you celebrate your victories?
   1. Reward your victories. Changing a habit, routine or behavior can be trying. Instead of waiting until you get to the very end, celebrate small victories with people who care about you and your success.

References:

New Years Resolutions Last Exactly This Long