New Year's Resolutions are just around the corner. With that in mind, I took some time out to see what the Government of the USA listed as the most popular resolutions. Let's take a look:

1. With gym memberships going on sale and flyers full of treadmills, the first is probably the most obvious - to lose weight. Most of the time, people who resolve to lose weight picture themselves with model sized bodies.

But the truth is, according the WIN (Weight-Control Information Network), "A weight loss of 5 to 7 percent of body weight may improve your health and quality of life, and it may prevent weight-related health problems, like type 2 diabetes. For a person who weighs 200 pounds, this means losing 10 to 14 pounds." Keep this in mind when you are imagining that "picture perfect" model sized body. Instead of striving to be media sized, strive to be healthy with a New Year's Resolution of losing 5 - 7 pounds - a resolution with high benefits that most are able to succeed at.

2. Another popular resolution, with no surprise, is to manage debt. With the economy the way it is, even the most careful of consumers have found themselves losing jobs and slowly falling into the empty money pit. This year, make your New Year's Resolution count.

The Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Protection offers excellent guidance on realistic budgeting, credit counseling from a reputable organization, debt consolidation, debt negotiation, and bankruptcy. No matter what the financial situation is that you face, take a moment to get yourself back on track and focused on eliminating your debt, and call this year's resolution a success.

3. Hand in hand with debt management, is the resolution to spend less. The most common approach to this New Year's Resolution is to do with less and stop buying things we would usually buy. But, you can make an even more successful attempt by checking out 66 Ways to Save Money from the Consumer Literacy Consortium. We can make this year's resolution successful by changing how we spend instead of whether to spend.

4. The next resolution on the list is to get a better job. Most people are constantly looking to improve, and a new job is a definite way to do so. Maybe you want another job in the same field, or you're looking to change fields altogether. Before you go looking to hard, make sure you're informed. Get the latest information on current salaries and benefits, and make sure you have an up-to-date resume and you're prepared for interviews. To make this New Year's Resolution successful this year, get help with these issues and more at the Career One Stop.

5. Another top resolution is to get fit. And, even though most people start out successful they often fall short on boredom and lack of variety within their exercise routine. Instead of allowing this to happen, get fit successfully. Try the President's Challenge. From aerobics to yoga, fishing to diving, bowling to trampoline, you'll find hundred of activities to choose from that will keep you interested and motivated to succeed.

6. With people losing jobs, looking for a career change or striving to make a difference in where they are going, a lot of people are making a New Year's Resolution to get a better education. For some, this resolution might see impossible - lack of money, lack of time, etc.

Here are some suggestions to make this resolution a little more successful. If you are an adult who didn't finish high school, there are night classes that allow you to work around you work schedule at your own pace. Perhaps you didn't finish your B.A., M.A. or Ph.D., make a phone call to your alma mater to get started. If you're looking for distance education that can be taken one class at a time as you can afford it, try Athabasca University, an online distance education that offers fully accredited degrees.

7. With New Year's Resolutions, comes the idea of quitting bad habits. For some, drinking less alcohol and quitting smoking are the top to resolve on their list. A great way to reduce you alcohol intake is to drink more slowly, alternate drinks with non-alcoholic beverages, or quit those "quick drinks" you have on a regular basis. If smoking is on your list, try will power to quit cold turkey. If this isn't your option, get support from others on sites like Quitnet. Either of these resolutions can be resolved successfully, you just need to take advantage of the loads of information that is available to you.

8. The last New Year's Resolution, and possibly one that has an impact on all of our others, is to reduce stress. This first step for this resolution is to identify what is stressing you out. Be specific, don't just say "my job" or "my family". Once you have identified them, learn how you can avoid, alter, adapt or accept them. Although this maybe a hard resolution to succeed with, check out HelpGuide to get a great deal of information and help along the way.

As you can see, it takes research and commitment to keep New Year's Resolutions. If you make a plan, stick with them and use all the help available, you will succeed.

There are many things that happen in life that we are not prepared for. That is why life is just one big fat lesson. So here we are. We live and we learn. And sometimes we get consumed in our own problems that we forget to give ourselves a break. During these hard times, it is probably the most crucial of all to stay positive. In this situation, we can either be our own best friend or our worst enemy. There are five things that we should always remember to stay motivated.

1. The first way to stay motivated is to try to surround yourself by positive people. Positive energy is a powerful tool and it works in many situations as a motivator and a mood lifter. If it is hard to find a positive atmosphere at the moment, and you need a quick fix, there is always the alternative; search for jokes online or take time to watch a comedy that you love. Laughter can be a cure for anything. Laughing is also contagious. So don't think twice, just laugh.

2. The second way to stay motivated is by thinking of the long term goal as something that is already accomplished. When the mind opens up to the feeling of success and victory it tends to keep us on the right track by staying positive and motivated. There is nothing not to love about the feeling of succeeding. There is also something powerful about opening our minds up to success. It leaves less room for failure.

3. The third way is to find an outlet. If you don't already have one, find one. It can be anything from working out, to righting in a journal. But whatever it is, it will be what suits you. staying motivated can be a matter of knowing how to balance life. Having an outlet helps us balance.

4. The fourth way to staying motivated, is by giving a helping hand. There are people out there that are less fortunate than us. To give a helping hand to the needy can be priceless. Look for organizations that you might want to volunteer in. Even if it is one day out of the week for a few hours, it can make a difference in your life. Organizations are always looking for volunteers and the gift of helping feels rewarding. As a volunteer, not only will you be giving to the community, but you will be feeling like you made a difference in someones life. If that is not a motivator, I don't know what is.

5. The last way to stay positive and probably the most important of all, is to appreciate what you already have in your life. Because no matter how bad you might think it is, there are people all over the world that have it worse. So do your best to remind yourself what you are grateful for. When you are grateful for what you already have, it will invite good energy into your life. We all know that good energy leads to positive results.

As we prepare to head into the two biggest annual holiday celebration weeks in the U.S. each year, many people are beginning to think about their New Year's resolutions. Unfortunately, many people will not come at their resolutions with the proper perspective. Thus, their resolutions will become one of their first failures of the year.

The statistics I found on New Year's resolutions two years ago are:

• As low as 45% and as high as 88% of people set resolutions or goals each year in a handful of surveys done the last five years.
• After 2 weeks, just 70% of these people will continue their efforts to achieve their resolutions or goals
• After 6 months, just 40% to 50% of these people will continue to pursue or have achieved their resolutions or goals
• Only 8% to 12% of these people achieve their resolutions or goals

Before you set your resolutions this year and set yourself up to be part of the 90% that fail to achieve their resolutions, consider these thoughts.

1. Drive to Thrive (in some way, shape, or form)! Connect to something you are truly passionate about and/or have a strong drive to achieve it from the very moment you start to think about it. Pursue selective greatness by deploying your strengths and talents. Build momentum in this area and give yourself the opportunity to focus on what's working. You can expand this success into other areas as your momentum grows.
2. Re-invent 10% of your disciplines. Jim Rohn often told his students that "We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment." Choose to suffer the smaller pain of re-inventing one attitudinal discipline, one thought discipline, and one disciplined action. These can be the smallest of disciplines but they will quickly lead you down a path of success when they are practiced each day.
3. Only participate in the right meetings. Instead of complaining about being in too many meetings, change how you contribute to your meetings and run your meetings for greater success. Eliminate some meetings and re-structure others. Schedule the meetings to occur as frequently as necessary (and no more frequently) to achieve the four kinds of objectives (synchronization, constraint removal, priority advancement, and strategic maneuvering) necessary to achieve long-term, sustainable success. Finally, bring data (not opinions) and facilitate dialogue and debate during the meeting so that you can make the discoveries that support the advancement of your goals.
4. Make better Decisions. Vow to create a better ecosystem around you. One that is supportive of making better and better decisions. Engage in your meetings and relationships in a way that enhances your ability to make daily decisions. Draw out solutions from those around you and debate different views to find better solutions, not to win the debates.
5. Be determined to make your decisions right. Once you have made decisions, be determined to make progress based on those decisions. Far too often, people don't invest in the process of making the best decision possible. Instead, they hesitantly make decisions and then immediately start looking for excuses or reasons why those decisions will not work. Do the opposite, invest in the decision making process and then be 100% committed to making your decisions right. Know that there will be obstacles and challenges in implementing your decisions. Be determined to find ways around those obstacles and challenges.
6. Continually monitor the data around your resolutions and use it as feedback. Adjust your course, as necessary, to achieve your resolutions.

Acknowledge that resistance is just a natural consequence of having goals and resolutions. Focus on what you want, not the resistance. What you think about and focus on expands. You just need to connect to what you want in the right way to overcome the resistance. Know that you can and you will find the answers as to how you will achieve your goals and resolutions.

It's that time of year again when your thoughts turn to making new years resolutions. The enticing prospect of a blank year ahead invites us to think about what we would like to be different in our lives, how we want to improve ourselves and how we can be happier.

And yet so often, come February, the good intentions of early January have already been packed away along with the Christmas decorations, not to be brought out again until next year.

What happens? One common reason is that we quickly go back to our 'normal' lives of work and school and the usual routines and along with them come the usual habits and ways of behaving. Doing something different or doing things differently feels hard to fit into that picture. It doesn't feel like a conscious choice not to follow through on our resolutions but they slip to the back of our minds and out of sight we simply forget about them.

Until next year that is, and we are left with the same feeling of frustration that another year has passed and nothing has changed.

Sound familiar?

Or perhaps you have more resilience and keep them going a little longer. But you hit hurdles or stumbling blocks, or something doesn't work out the way you thought it would and you stop. Momentum is lost and it can feel hard, if not impossible to get restarted. And there isn't a convenient date to act as a catalyst to action. So again, the resolutions get forgotten about. Until next year, of course.

So how can it be different?

I believe there are 10 steps that will make it different for this year:

1. Be clear about what you want

• Don't make it a list of what you don't want and make sure you are specific about what you do want. For example, if you have written "lose weight", write down how much you want to lose and by when

2. Know why you want it - or who wrote this list anyway?

• Writing down why you want something will give you a handy reminder to go back to when you're feeling un motivated.
• Make sure the list is yours. Not someone else's voice in your head telling you all the things you "should" do.

3. Be specific about what you will do

• It's very hard to be in action around a vague list of "will do more of..." and "will do less of...". If you gave your list to someone else would they know exactly what you were doing when?

4. Know what stops you

• There will be times when it feels hard to be in action or you simply won't feel like it. Being honest with yourself about what will stop you now whilst you are feeling motivated will let you plan for these situations and not make them the end of your resolutions.

5. Create support structures

• When you know what stops you put support structures in place now that will keep you on track. Examples include other people - such as a buddy system - using your diary to schedule reminders, notes on your bathroom mirror, pictures in prominent places.

6. Be in action

• Sometimes the only thing that is required is to just do it! For no other reason that you said you would. One of the biggest enemies of keeping your new year resolutions is analysing them, yourself, the world. This is the time to look back at why you wanted to achieve this resolution in the first place and to be in action.

7. Embrace imperfection

• Sometimes things will not go to plan. It happens. Don't let it throw you off track completely. Make adjustments, come up with new ways of doing things, create a new plan for the imperfect world you live in. It's perfect.

8. When failing isn't failing

• Feeling that you've failed at something can be a real kick in the teeth and the end to achieving goals. So think of failing differently. Failing means you are doing something different, possibly something new. Did you learn to walk without failing over a few times? I doubt it. Did you give up? I'm guessing not. Failing isn't failing, it's just not having done it yet.

9.Reward yourself

• Don't hold out until the "big prize". Create reward points along the way. Reward yourself for being in action. Be kind to yourself and use the carrot, or lots of carrots, and not the stick!

10. Enjoy!

• Most importantly, your new years resolutions are about being happier, more fulfilled, enjoying your life. If it is a punishment list put it in the bin right now!

Get What You Want in 4 Easy Steps

Setting and reaching goals is a great way to create milestones in your life. It feels good to achieve something you've worked for and focused on.

Many people think that when someone reaches a goal it's because that person is special or has some unique talent. Chances are, this person had a plan and a vision.

Yes, the old saying of "people don't plan to fail, they fail to plan" is tired, but alas, still true. A plan can be an idea on a cocktail napkin r an elaborate schematic of steps to reach a particular objective. It may simply be a picture.

Either way, goals and objective require something concrete. The "mortar" that holds a dream together is made with only three ingredients:

1. Words. Written goals are more likely to come true than those that aren't.

2. Pictures. Visual goals are the epitome of "seeing is believing, and believing is seeing" your objective come true.

3. Action. Love, like your desire to reach a goal, is not just a feeling, it must be an action. Do your actions equate with your goal? In other words, if your goal is to be a writer, are you, in fact, writing or just thinking about it? You've got to do it to be it.

Now you may be wondering how goal setting and goal-achieving relate to feng shui. Well, your environment has a direct impact on your effectiveness and your life, so to increase your chances of success, you want to make sure your environment reflects that desire. In other words: use symbolism in your home or office to keep the focus on your goals. Also, the Chinese hang banners with auspicious sayings in their homes and businesses to reflect their aspirations... So you see, this is perfectly feng shui.

The ideas below will help you focus your attention on your goals so that you, too, will be one of those admired people who set a goal and achieved it!

1. Symbolize your goals. What is it you want to achieve? Is it your goal to be a famous writer? If so, start an antique pen collection and place it in the south sector of fame and recognition. Add a light here and pictures of some of your favorite writers -- yourself included! -- in red frames. Pick something to symbolize your goal, whether that is a vase, a globe, a figurine. Put this where you can see it frequently.

2. Picture it. Pictures are worth a thousand words. Put pictures that symbolize your goals in the appropriate corner to inspire you! Is it health? Put up a picture of a runner if exercising or completing a marathon is your goal.

Maybe you want wealth and to you being wealthy is represented by living in Tahiti... So, put a poster of a gorgeous Tahitian island up on the wall opposite your desk where you can see it everyday. It will make going after your goal sweeter.

3. Activate your goals by sector by creating a symbol corner. If your goal is to be a wealthy businessman, then the north and northwest sectors are all-important. They represent water which is wealth (north), and helpful people (northwest). Buiild a symbol corner with elements appropriate for your goal and that corner. Not sure about the sectors? Check my 2005 lo shu square.

4. Put your goals into words. In addition to creating your goal corner and hanging a picture of your goal, you can complete the scene by adding your goal in words. So, for example, if you've created a marriage goal corner with a double fish symbol, a lamp with crystals, a red candle, and a picture of two people holding hands, all you need on the wall next to this is the word "Love" or "Forever" or "Commitment" or "Marriage."

Or, if you've created a business corner, go with the word "Success" or "Prosperity." A very wealthy businesswoman who I admire greatly had a sign made to hang above her front door that said "Abundance" and everyday, it reinforced her goal to her and to her family. Way to go! Wall Words has tons of great ideas of how to put words to work in your home.

One thing I can guarantee will happen when you take the time to set goals and work towards their accomplishment is that something will get in your way. After you design yourself a goal focused life along with a vision of a life lined with a beautiful sky and a lush bountiful forest you will at some point come across a barrier to your goal. You will be heading down your path to success and suddenly there will be a 'tree' laying across your path, blocking you from reaching your goal, or attaining your vision of that bountiful forest.

Best advice you can follow when you reach that barrier to your goal is to avoid focusing on the just the tree. So you do not lose sight of the lush, beautiful forest you are working for.

While you will want to give attention to your obstacle, you need to maintain a panoramic view of your vision and your life. Keep you eyes focused on the beauty of the vision you have detailed of what your life will be like when you reach your goal. Keep that bigger picture in your mind so you can step back from that tree lying in your path.

If you do this it will be far easier for you to see things you might miss. When you want to see something different, simply reposition yourself and your perspective. When you look objectively from "far away", you can see that there is a purpose larger than just yourself and your current 'tree'.

This stepping back allows you to appreciate your life and your goal as a WHOLE, because life, like a forest, is a combination of experiences. You have trees that block your path, or your goal, and trees that beautify our path. Some trees will be far more majestic than others. Your life and your path to your goal will be like that bountiful forest you envision - filled with bad and good trees - all making up that beautiful result.

You need to value each of the trees along your path to success whether it is blocking your path or it is beautifying it. There is something that you can gain from each of the trees, and when you look at them as a whole you will get a glimpse of something greater - like the ability to see your goal attained and how grand the forest of your life will be when you have attained it. If you affix your eyes ONLY on the individual tree you will miss the majesty of your bountiful goal attaining forest.

One tree by itself is amazing as it is, but it is no comparison to a lush forest. Do not settle for a single tree when there is a beautiful forest that you deserve to enjoy. Stay away from having a narrow view. Each day take action to enlarge and focus your vision of your goal and its impact on your forest. Reposition yourself so you can look for things that may be hiding from you and your ambition. Let your ambitions be the binoculars that will bring the big picture into focus. When you look through the eyes of ambition, you make your goals feel close or even attained.

Remember, your forest has much more to offer than any single tree. Avoid focusing on any single tree because there are experiences beyond your imagination waiting for you in the forest of the life you design, desire and deserve.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What do I need to do to reposition myself and have a better view?
2. When was the last time I took a step back to look at my life objectively?
3. How can I enlarge my vision today?

Are you like most people who have made New Year's resolutions before but never come close to accomplishing them? If so don't be discouraged. The New Year gives us a perfect opportunity to take time to evaluate our goals and priorities. But to make real progress achieving those goals you need to approach your goal setting at the beginning of the year in a structured way.

Unfortunately, most people simply make a list on a sheet of paper of the resolutions or goals they would like to achieve and leave it at that. That is the equivalent of building a house with a deck of cards: it may stand up for a while, it may even look nice, but very soon, it WILL collapse.

Why? Because there is no foundation, structure or framework for these resolutions.

But there is an easy alternative. It does require a little more work up front but in return, your chances of keeping your New Years Resolutions and meeting your goals and objectives are likely to soar.

I've put together 12 questions to ask yourself that should help you to achieve any goal. Answer these questions as they relate to your New Year's Resolutions or any time you begin a new major endeavor: you'll be astonished at the results.

1. Have you defined your most important goal? Pick a goal that is most important to you and simply write it down. REMEMBER: make this a huge goal, one that makes you gasp. The more uncomfortable and daunting it seems, the better. The mere act of writing down such a goal will inspire you.

2. Do you have a clear deadline? Although deadlines are not fun, most of us wouldn't accomplish much without them and for this reason they are routine at school and in the workplace. You should also use them in your goal setting. Setting a goal is meaningless if you don't set a time frame in which to accomplish it. This will spur you to action. I recommend a three year deadline for large goals.

3. How will you measure your success? Some goals, such as weight loss, are easy to measure and track. Other goals, like improved family relationships, are more difficult to measure, but you should strive to do so anyway. One way or the other, each of your goals can and should be measured, or you will never know whether you are making progress or have met your goals.

4. What is the reason you wish to achieve your goal? If you cannot articulate a clear, compelling reason for why you must achieve a goal, especially a huge goal, you will likely not achieve your goal. Why? Simply because achieving any goal will likely involve changes in your life. It will possibly take you out of your comfort zone. It will most likely require hard work. Make your reasons as emotional as possible because no matter how logical we think we are, we are still driven by our emotions.

5. What benefits you expect to gain by reaching your goal? Once you define the key benefits or results you expect, you will be more driven to do what it takes to achieve your goal. Make this list as detailed as possible. The more benefits to be gained, the greater the focus you will have on the goal. Getting clear about the benefits of achieving your goal is critical to achieving your goals.

6. What are the consequences of not achieving your goal? Use as much emotion as possible. Sometimes it doesn't become clear how important a goal is until you ponder the consequences of not achieving it. The desire to avoid pain is a big motivator.

7. What are the obstacles to achieving your goal? Instead of viewing obstacles negatively, I encourage you to embrace them. If you define your obstacles carefully, you will find that your mind very quickly work to find solutions.

8. What are the solutions to overcoming your obstacles? The mistake most people make is not listing their obstacles on paper. Somehow we rationalize that if we don't write them down and address them they just don't exist. This is foolish because once you put them on paper your mind will suddenly go to work looking for solutions. Why? Because we as humans are instinctive problem-solvers so when we write them down our perspective usually changes.

9. What are some possible resources to help you attain your goal? We often assume we have to accomplish our goals all on our own. Why do we put this pressure on ourselves? There are many, many resources in the universe that we can tap into. We need only ask. Since your ultimate aim is to achieve your goal, does it matter if you achieve your goal on your own, or if you get help along the way?

10. What are the clear milestones on your path to success? To make steady progress toward your goal it is critical to define steps and time frames along the way. Time frames allow you to assess your goal, determine your progress, and take corrective action if necessary.

11. Who have you told about your goal? Many people make the mistake of hiding their goal, or only sharing it with one person. You might feel uncomfortable at first, but hiding your goal will not help you. Instead, you will find that when you have the courage to share your goal, you articulate it more clearly for yourself and this allows you to receive objective feedback from others and you strengthen your commitment to success.

12. Have you visualized what your success will look like? You will find that visualizing success as vividly as you can is a vital step to achieving and exceeding your biggest goals. What will your goal look like, feel like, and sound like? Use everything you can to describe your success such as photos, mental images, and detailed descriptions.