It's Not Too Late for Resolutions! 3 Easy Steps to Reach Your Goals in 2014

Today is January 10th. At this point, 25% of the millions of people who made resolutions for 2014 have already failed in their quest. For the remainder, defeat is a statistical certainty that most will face sooner rather than later. A recent study by the University of Scranton also points out the part that age plays in this annual game. According to their research, 49% of people in their twenties will attain their goals for the coming year while only 14% of people over the age of fifty will find that success. Personally, I feel that if I had the same amount of time and lack of real responsibilities as I did when I was only 20 then my odds would certainly improve; if I could turn back time, if I could find a way. I digress.

So what can be done at this point?

I would start by encouraging you to scrap conventional thinking about resolutions. Resolutions don't have to start on January 1st. They don't have to start on a Monday. They don't have to take all year. Resolutions will look completely different for each person if they are set up properly.

Here are my three simple steps for setting resolutions and achieving great things in 2014:

1. Make It a Good One-
There are about a zillion articles floating around the blogosphere about setting good resolutions and most of them circle around a principle known as "S.M.A.R.T.." Your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. This is a great process for putting together any goal. The people who resolve to 'lose a bunch of weight' or 'be a better person' are setting themselves up for failure. A SMART version of those goals would be to 'lose 10lbs by April 1st' or to 'volunteer on the first Thursday of each month at the Durham Rescue Mission.' The more specific a goal is the more attainable it automatically becomes. Additionally, you will find that the process of developing a very specific resolution generates momentum to create an action plan to attain it.

2. Write It Down-
This is perhaps the easiest thing any person can do to improve their odds of success. Virtually every success manual on earth will tell you the same thing. People who write their goals down are FAR more likely to reach them. Furthermore, having written goals enables you to refer to them throughout the year. Once all the "New Year's Resolution" hub-bub has died down, being able to go back to the goals you set for yourself is an invaluable gift.

3. Phone a Friend-
Sharing your goals with a friend is a fantastic way to improve your chances of success in 2014. My advice would be to choose someone who is similarly committed to making a change in the coming year. Working with your accountability partner to set up monthly check-ins to stay on target will keep your resolve when the other 51-86% of people have fallen by the proverbial wayside.


Life moves quickly. The changing of the calendar gives us all an excellent opportunity to evaluate where we are in life. But good changes rarely happen by accident. Decide to live this year on purpose.