One year I really enjoyed my New Year’s Resolutions. Here’s what I recall doing and why that year’s resolutions worked out so well.

1. I made reasonable and measurable goals; I even had check points to measure the progress along the way. For example, one of my overall goals was to get out of bad debt (credit cards). My monthly goal was to pay $100 dollars a month more on credit cards.
2. Each month, close to the 1^st of the month, I would review the list and make notes about how well I had done, where I fell short and how I could improve during the next month.
3. I shared my list with one friend, an accountability partner. Sometimes we discussed our progress via phone, other times via emails. We promised to be honest with ourselves and each other. We didn’t always make the mark, but we did evaluate things each month and had time to think about our goals.
4. I also made goals in different areas of my life: spiritual, emotional, financial, professional, physical, etc.

As we stand on a brink of the new year, I plan to do the same type of goal setting for 2012. I also plan to add a recurring event to my calendar each month to remind myself to review my goals and make necessary changes.

Let me know if you’re interested in receiving a reminder each month so we can keep each other accountable virtually.

Happy New Year!