[Photo by:Orvalrochefort @ Flickr]

It is that time of year…

As directorates of corporations all over the world are busy preparing the annual reports and forecasts, we too are pondering on the year that has elapsed and the year that is coming. We too are preparing our annual reports and our forecasts, only we call it: “New Year’s Resolutions”.

In preparation for the year 2009 I have come up with a series of three journaling prompts, each one suggesting a different way to go about our new-year’s planning process:

1. The traditional way – preparing a catalog of resolutions.
2. The clairvoyant way – foreseeing the future.
3. The action way – compiling a list of words to live by.

You may choose any of the above methods, all of them together or a different way altogether which works better for you.

This week’s journaling prompt is about the traditional way to embark on making your New-Year’s Resolutions.

The traditional way is the most straightforward of all methods and is best for people who know exactly what they want to achieve (i.e.: getting fitter) in the coming year or which things to avoid (i.e.: eating junk-food) etc.

Some pointers on how to compile an effective catalog of New-Year’s Resolutions:

1. Write your resolutions on paper. Putting your goals down to paper anchors them. It gives you a sense of accountability and also gives you something tangible to go to when your resolutions will fade away as time goes by.
2. Narrow the span of your resolutions. One of the glorious things about the holiday season is the great spirit it casts all over us. The sensation of a new beginning is exhilarating. One of the downfalls of the omnipotence feeling is the tendency of making unfeasible resolutions. Make sure that you choose goals that you can actually reach in the scope of a single year. “Becoming a Billionaire” is sweet, but start with “saving/earning at least [such and such] per annum”.
3. Focus. This is just a different facet of how to deal with the “New Year’s Omnipotence Syndrome“. After you have narrowed down the scope of your resolutions, reduce the number of goals you wish to achieve. Our lives are hectic enough, don’t overfill your plate. Choose the 10 most prominent goals you are going to achieve in 2009.
4. Share. The accountability factor is up again. After you have written down your list of resolutions, share them with your significant other, friends, parents, siblings, children or your internet friends – anyone who can make you accountable, and moreover, can support you through thick and thin and make sure you achieve your goals.

Share –

How do you come up with your New-Year’s Resolutions? Have you any tips to share? Leave a comment and share with me.