It’s 2005. Another opportunity to freshen up on one’s resolutions. I made a resolution, when I was 16, to NEVER make another resolution. I am proud to say that I have stuck by my 18 year old resolution! So how do I set new standards for myself for the new year? How do I “resolve” to, be fit, read more, earn more, spend more time with my family? Simple. I set goals. That’s not to say I am am good at sticking with them. But I do try.

I actually only started truely making goals for myself last year. Every year up to that point, I just said, “This year will be better”. But all my life, I have been told that “writing down your goals is an important step in making them reality”. At first, I couldn’t comprehend why writing them down would have any bearing on whether I accomplished them.

As I have researched and studied “Goal Setting”, I have come to understand that visualization of your goals, seeing them come true in your mind’s eye, plays a significant role in the realization. And writing the goals down, is an integral step in the visualization. You see, when you write down your goals, it makes a deeper impression in your mind. You will remember what you wrote down, far better and longer than remembering a fleeting thought. Just as writing a phone number down helps you to memorize it better, writing your goals down where you can read them daily also helps you to achieve them. You become what you think you are. And what you write down, for your future, is what you want to be, and thus what your mind starts to believe you are. But along with your goals, you must have a plan on how to achieve them. You can’t just write down that you want to be a millionaire. You mind will comprehend what you want, but will not know which path to take to get you there. You may end up spending alot of time on the scenic route. Which is fine, if you have the time and are not in much of a hurry.

So you need a plan. And you need to follow the plan as closely as possible, and make adjustments as necessary. It’s highly unlikely that you will achieve that kind of goal overnight. But if you are prepared to invest 5 to 10 years to your long term future, and follow the plan that you set for yourself, you might just be surprized at how efficiently you reach your goals.

Listen to my radio show online at www.charlieprofit.com or log on to see if we broadcast on a station near you!