A life skill coach personal development idea:

A Smart Goal-setting Tip

BY JAMIE WALTERS

Reprinted with permission. See below.

Set, and meet, New Years resolutions you actually want to accomplish.

As year-end jubilation fades into the reality of post-holiday credit card bills and the same old routine, we make an earnest vow that this will be the year we accomplish the things that make our life bliss on earth. So we ambitiously craft a to-do list that starts with getting fit enough to win the Iron Man competition and ends with being credited for initiating a thousand years of planetary peace. And then we wonder why we set the list aside to fade into oblivion along side the Christmas poinsettia.

Setting New Year's resolutions that we actually (want to) accomplish

To accomplish anything, we have to set goals; and setting realistic and/or meaningful goals helps ensure that we don't set ourselves up for failure or accomplish things that, in the end, are meaningless to us. Here are a few tips to help you set goals that you'll achieve:

Define the goal.

What, exactly, do you want to accomplish? This may seem insultingly simple, but you'd be surprised how often people pursue goals that are too vague and can't be articulated, much less accomplished.

Know why it's important (and to whom).

The Land of Unachieved Goals is littered with goals that just weren't personally meaningful. Ask yourself why you want to accomplish the goal in the first place, and make sure it's important to you, not just someone else. We're all much more motivated to achieve something that's personally meaningful.

Envision the result.

Once accomplished, what does the result of your goal look like? How might you be talking about it? How will it feel? How will your life change once your goal is achieved (and is this acceptable to you)? How will you celebrate your accomplishment? Seeing your goal completed will help you define the goal specifically enough to be achieved and decide if it's something that you want to do at all.

Allow a realistic timeline.

Allow too much time, and it'll be easy to procrastinate; put an unrealistically tight deadline in place, and you'll cause yourself undue stress and set yourself up for failure. Sketch out what it'll take and who else you must rely on to accomplish your goal, then allow just enough time to do it.

Review your goal each day.

Spend a few minutes in your morning planning and reflection time identifying where you are in relation to your goal and noting at least one thing you can do that day to make progress toward accomplishing your goal. Taking some action, even if small, will support forward-momentum.

Celebrate the accomplishment.

Too often, we neglect to enjoy the positive results of our efforts. Buy yourself a mocha (including the whipped cream) or enjoy a nice meal with a friend to celebrate your accomplishment.

© Jamie S. Walters, Ivy Sea, Inc. San Francisco, CA (www.ivysea.com). Reprinted with permission. No additional reprint, distribution, or reproduction in any form without express permission or VIP membership from Ivy Sea, Inc.

CLOSING THE LOOP — BUILDING CREDIBILITY

What Can Build Up or Dismantle Your Credibility?

Who knows how the phrase "closing the loop" came about. What we do know is that it's a commonly used expression meaning "to follow up with" or "to provide closure or resolution to."

What intrigues us here at IVC [Ivy Sea Consultants] is the power those three little words have when put into action. (Likewise, neglecting to close the loop sends an equally powerful message.) This is a tool that can help boost customer service and affect your credibility for better or worse. Which would you prefer?

One-minute Reality Check

Take a look at today's to-do list and circle every item that requires you to close the loop with someone. Have you given everyone status updates for projects or activities they might be worried about? Have you confirmed that you completed a task requested of you by another person, or which affects another person? Have you advised people who are expecting a call or who are scheduled to meet with you that you're running late or needing to reschedule?

The point of closing the loop is that no one should be left wondering about the status of something; if they are, you've missed the boat and most likely notched up someone's resentment of you. By the end of the day, make sure you've followed-up on every activity, and see the positive effect it has on you.

Of course you want to raise your Wow Quotient with your clients and colleagues, so find out how you can use the "closing the loop" phenomenon as an extremely effective communication tool, regardless of your business.

© Jamie Walters