Every year millions of people decide they are going to set some New Year’s Resolutions. Sadly, a few months later, almost all of those people have fallen short of their goal and given up. Why is this?

There are many reasons to be sure, but the biggest reason has to be that they didn’t set themselves up for success. I know that sounds a little odd, so let me explain it a little better.

I have written extensively about goals on this site mainly because they are becoming my passion. So, I hope you don’t mind another “Mike” look into goal setting for the New Year. Now, let me get to my main point here.

I have lost a lot of weight so far in my journey, about 90 pounds. I have a LONG way to go still…I started at nearly 460 pounds! I’ve been working diligently the last 7 months on my goal but hit a rough spot this last month or so.

My weight loss came to a standstill and even started to creep up a little bit. OH NO! I could have gotten stressed out and just given up totally…but that wouldn’t help me.

Here’s what I’m doing now and setting up for my New Year’s Resolution. I’m going to lose 160 pounds in 2007 using the techniques and personal training of Abe Fuentes. You probably haven’t heard of Abe Fuentes yet, but you will.

I will be working with him as he launches a HUGE weight loss program that I know is going to be successful. In the New Year I will introduce you to Abe and maybe even give you a chance to ask him some questions.

But…back to goal setting! Sorry about that tangent. I know you are reading this because you want to learn how to set New Year’s Resolutions.

Here are 3 steps to get you started:

1) Set manageable goals

I am sort of breaking this rule by shooting for 160 pounds this year, but I have some goal setting experience, ;-). I know if I fall short I haven’t “failed”, I have simply reached my maximum level.

But if you haven’t had some success with goals already, then you must start with something you know you can accomplish. If you’re trying to lose weight make you goal something as simple as this:

In the month of January I will quit drinking sodas.

This is a manageable goal. You have a whole month to give up soda. You don’t have to reach a certain weight to achieve this goal, you just need to quit drinking soda! Think changing habits, not just scale results.

2) Keep a Journal

Writing down your thoughts makes everything a little bit easier. I suggest keeping some sort of written record of what you are going through as you pursue your goal. And here’s a secret for you:

You can actually make MONEY while you achieve your goal. If you have something you want to do, odds are thousands of other people want to do the same thing you’re trying to do.

You can keep a blog chronicling your journey that others can read. You can put Google Adsense on the blog and even recommend products you are using to reach your goal. Companies will pay you for getting others to buy their products, so it’s a win-win-win situation.

You can sign up for a FREE BLOG by going to:

http://www.blogger.com OR
http://www.wordpress.com

3) Don’t give up

This may sound elementary, but if you let this sink in it can change your life.

If you don’t stop trying you can never fail.

This applies to so many things, it’s almost unbelievable. How would you like to succeed at everything you do? How does the idea of NEVER failing sound? Well, the truth of the matter is you will never fail as long as you keep on trying.

If you just give up and don’t try anymore, then you have failed. But if you give it your all and fall short, that’s ok. Keep on trying. Keep pushing yourself, keep on pursuing your goal.

By doing this, you’re ensuring you won’t fail. And that, my friend, is powerful.

Here’s to a GREAT 2007!

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Having goals in your life is probably the most important aspect of happiness, fulfillment, and joy.  Without goals in your life, you’re so of just getting from day to day, going through the motions if you will.

This isn’t any way to live.  You have to understand that right now is all you have. I believe this is the only life you ever get to live so it’s best to make the most of it while you can. that being said here are three reasons you must have goals in your life.

1. Having goals give you purpose.

It’s hard to believe but everyday there are people who live life without any sense of their purpose.  Because go through life and don’t ever think about the fact that when they’re gone from this earth the only thing that will remain is the people they touched and the things they did while they were here.

I encourage you right now to great goals for the upcoming year because doing that will help give you a purpose.  Purpose is one of the greatest things you can have in life.  A look into up early and keep you on late.  It is that powerful.  Trust me you want to have goals because they will help you discover your purpose.

2.  Having goals gives you freedom

You might not think of this way, but it’s true.  People who say goals usually always end up having more freedom than those who don’t set goals.  Why is that you ask?  Well, the answer is simple.  If you don’t decide what to do with your time somebody else will.  That person could be your spouse,  your boss,  your friends, or you and your neighbor! When you set goals you are telling everyone else around you that you are not totally available to be at their  beckon call.

This doesn’t mean you can’t help other people, it just means that you have a goal you are working towards and you want it to come true. So start setting goals and let people around you know that you are working towards having the freedom to do what you want to do with your own time.

3. Having goals gives you happiness

You might not believe this one either, but setting goals will bring about happiness in your own life.  I say this because I’ve seen it work in my own life.  Just about 1 year ago I was a total wreck, so speak.  I had no goals, no direction, no purpose.  I basically roamed from one thing to the next never really experiencing what life was meant to be.

But all that changed when I began setting goals.  I started with easy things.  For example, last January 1 I decided I was going to read the entire Bible in one year.  This is something I wanted to do for a long time, but never got around to it. so, last year I got started and I’m proud to tell you today that I’ve just finished.

It feels so great to publish a goal, truly right now I feel the happiest I have in a long long time.  You too, if you want to you, can feel happiness. I recommend you start by setting goals for this new year.  They’ll have to be grand, although you should add a few grand goals if he asked me.  Start or something easy, something you know you can do.  From there just do it.

I’ll be writing more before the new year on setting goals, accomplishing those goals, and getting more out of life than you thought possible.