Every New Year, people across the country take time to reflect on what lays behind them and turn to what is ahead of them. Every year is a smaller amount of time we have left in this world, but it is also an opportunity to use what we have learned.
For myself, it has been some years since I have made a New Year's Resolution on New Year's. Instead, I take some time to think about what I want to do this year. It may be 3 weeks or 3 months. I strive to do something that helps me in the future.
The most important thing is that you take the steps to achieve this goal.
One example is to save more money. You can accomplish this by setting up automatic payments through your bank. Another strategy that has proliferated through the internet is the 'dollar a day' savings plan. Through this plan, you save $1 on January 1st and each day increase your savings until you reach $365. This would net you $66,795. THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY!!! An easier to attain goal is $1 a week until you reach $52. This would net you $1,378. The habit of putting some money away during the year changed my habits and allowed me to save money.
One thing that I do want to point out from the example above that I want to point out is the power of simple compounding. There is a saying that personifies this, 'You can't eat an elephant in one bite'. Taking simple steps today will have a huge impact as long as you keep up your work.
Another tip for keeping a New Year's goal is to brag about it. Yes, brag about it. This will keep it fresh in your mind. Ok, so if you are not fond of this idea, find a way to keep it fresh. Write it down. Put a sticky note by your front door so you will always see it.
Here are some questions to consider as you think about your goals for the year:
- What are some of your goals for this year?
- What is something that you want to accomplish this year?
- Is there a new skill that you would like to be able to do?
- What are some steps that you need to do to reach your goal?
- Who is around you to support you in your goal?
