Just wondering... You know, when we write resolutions, it's in our benefit to break them fast, alienate all who know about them within the first two days, and abandon all effort by the end of the first week, lest we become dysfunctional, inarticulate failures, with fried mentalities due for a mental ward.

The only purpose of New Year's Resolutions is to prove your sanity by getting over the process quickly so you can continue along your usual pace into the rest of the year, accomplishing nothing more than you did the year before.

So, now my friend Dianne E. Butts comes up with the precious idea of upgrading New Year's Resolutions to Goals. What a novel and independent thought! (Imagine scolding tone here - tongue in cheek!) Dianne, how could you? I feel driven (practically beyond insanity) to accomplish during this season anyway, and now you push the button even further, by adding the insult of suggested Goal Setting to the perversity of New Year's Resolutions? How could you?

But, just for your sake alone, I've going to endeavor to comply with the suggested status quo of setting goals for myself. So, I've decided to share Goal Setting Methods that work best for me.

• Write it down, include deadlines and final results.
• Commit to varifiable steps toward your goal every day.
• Set aside time to achieve your goal.
• Give yourself anticipated finish lines (reward your work).
• Share your goal with an accountability partner who will hold you accountable for meeting it.
• Prepare for those inevitable setbacks, plan an alternate route around them.
• Visualize completion and your ultimate reward.

Whether your goal is a book you want to write or a business you want to develop, you can break it down into baby steps you can accomplish one small step at a time. For instance: To write a book, give your book a working title, decide on the topic, describe the setting, create some characters, and develop your basic plot. As each character comes to life in the setting, you can increase the action in the book to include new characters, plot twists, and creative satires that make your book interesting. Use the same or similar methods to break down any goal. Be prepared, plan ahead, and NEVER forget to see a positive outcome for your project.

You can visit Dianne at http://dianneebutts.com