Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Why do so many people talk of, and even admit to, making New Year?s resolutions when almost none of them will be kept?

Resolution: ?The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination. Resolving to do something??

Is it a self-defeating prophesy or just an empty wish?

It?s a mystery. Or at the very least, a paradox.

It?s not a resolute or firm determination, as much as a leftover list for Santa just in case he might want to bring us something before next Christmas.

Statistics show that somewhere in the vicinity of 97% of New Year?s resolutions won?t be kept?why? Goals expert Michael York offers his explanation and what to do about it?

?What if we resolved to make better choices and better decisions?

What if?there were a whole new way to get to your destination? To do this, or become that? As many studies and statistics as there are to support that resolutions just don?t hold water or help us develop the habits that lead to what we say it is we want, there are equally as many supporting the fact that many people, in fact most people, don?t set goals.?

York says effective goals are more than just thinking or stating a ?wish? out loud but actually taking a pen and paper and beginning the process. Promoting his case that success in any endeavor has substantial evidence that it is a PROCESS. The getting from point A to point B.

As a consultant and author of The 10 Commitments,

York asks live audiences, ?If success is a journey then why can?t we get better directions?

And why our repeated failures with resolutions and goals??

The reasons he says are simple?

1. Most people expect not to keep a resolution

2. Most don?t know how to truly set goals or don?t believe it matters

Spanning a 30 year career as a disc jockey, journalist, salesperson/manager and now as a business consultant to selling organizations,

York offers his evidence on the secret of goals.

?Hidden in our everyday lives is the real truth.

Architects know it.

Coaches know it.

Builders and rocket scientists know it.

Blueprints and game plans and models WORK!?

In his E book Uncommon Goals, York takes the simple approach. ?Goals are personal. Or should be. It?s more about gaining an understanding of what it really means to have goals as a compass to take you in a specific direction or away from some undesirable destination.

Of the small percentage of individuals who set goals (typically salespeople)it is often something that has been handed to them from someone else, seldom anything more than a number you must deliver. Ship this number of packages, make this number of sales, etc. In short, WORK goals.?

Maybe his greatest success, York is quick to point out, is as a husband of 27 years and a father of two, ?Life is bigger than work, not everyone got the memo on that one. That?s the critical thing to consider when setting goals or priorities for our lives.?

For more on his goals for life, as well as work,

get the E book on the web that can be downloaded for free.

It?s called UNCOMMON GOALS and is available at:

www.MichaelYork.com/author