Why Resolutions Don't Work --The Power of Setting Goals

In the dictionary, “Resolution” is defined as: “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” While a “Goal”  is “the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.” While both

are similar in the sense that they both are a plan or intent; sustainable change in your life). The reason for this resolution failure rate is because when you make a resolution, you tend to look at the “What” (What it is that you are doing or giving up) and not the “Why,” (The reason behind why you are doing what you are doing) and with goals you focus on the “What” and the “Why.” It makes all the difference when we have a reason for our behavior and decisions.
resolutions tend to be forgotten and forsaken much faster than goals do. In fact, according to a survey of 3,000 people by Richard Wiseman in 2007, of all resolutions, 88% end in failure. (This may be a discouraging figure, but if you read to the end of this post, you’ll find out why resolutions don’t work and what you can do to actually deliver some

Let me explain:

When you make a resolution it’s typically along the lines of something like, “I’m going to go to the gym 3-5 times a week this year” or, “I’m no longer going to eat junk food.” It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the desire to do these things, the problem is that resolutions typically tend to leave out the “why” –or the reason behind why we actually made the resolution in the first place! The problem then occurs when we face a moment of temptation to eat that chocolate-glazed donut or skip working out at the gym “just this once,” because we don’t have enough reason as to why we should or should not be doing those certain things in the first place.

Goals are different. With goal setting, you “begin with the end in mind.” Your focus is less on the immediate and more on the long-term. With goals, you’re reaching towards an end result and can see a bigger picture. You set the end goal, or the desired result, have a reason for wanting to achieve that result, and then take continuous action steps to work towards accomplishing that goal and seeing it become a reality. Rather than having a resolution of “I’m going to go to the gym every day,” goals give us the reason as to why we are putting in the time and the effort to do something like going to the gym—to achieve an end result, in this case, “Have our healthiest year ever.” Can you see the difference?

Another problem with resolutions is that once we fail to follow through with our resolution once, we tend to lose hope and drop the resolution completely and are left feeling like a resolution-making failure. With goals on the other hand, they are something we are consistently working towards making a reality, so if we mess up, there is less of a finality to it, and more of an “I’ll try again tomorrow” attitude. We are more determined to see our goals through because we can see the end destination.

It's also incredibly important to write out our goals on a daily basis. When we do so, we keep our goals fresh, and in the forefront of our minds, making it easy to plan the day according to engaging in activities that will help us accomplish those goals. When we write out our goals, we increase our chances of accomplishing them DRASTICALLY. We may make a resolution up in our mind, but when we write out a goal we are far more likely to take the action in seeing that goal through. It's important to have and set goals that are personally meaningful to us on a regular basis, because they

bring our lives passion, purpose, fulfillment, and a sense of productivity and accomplishment. A wise man once said, "Without goals, people perish." And it's true. We need goals, and we need vision in order to not just survive, but to thrive. The wisest and most successful people will tell you the utmost importance of setting goals and taking action towards them! Hellen Keller once said, "The only thing worse than being blind, is to have sight, but no vision." 

Unlike resolutions which often cause us to forget the end result we are working towards (and therefore are easier to give up on), goals allow us to “begin with the end in mind,” and we are much more likely to see things through. Goals inspire us to take action not because we have to, but because we want to. We have an inward sense of accomplishment when we achieve a goal, unlike trying to stick with a resolution that seems to have no end. Goals inspire a lifestyle transformation that provokes us to make the continual effort and investment to reach and accomplish them. Having that “why,” or reason for doing what you do, makes all the difference between successful and visible life-transformation, and another failed New-Years resolution.

I hope this post has inspired you to set some new goals this year,

and throughout the New Year of 2014, and I hope you feel motivated to dream big when setting your goals! Know that the sky is the limit when it comes to what you are capable of achieving! Set your goals high and you may just end up surprising yourself! ;-) 

I wish you all LOTS of love, peace, joy, and prosperity this upcoming year—and I wish you all the very best!

XO

Love,

Brigitte

“Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” 

"Without vision, people perish." 

Finding Your Shape and Fulfilling Your God-Given Dreams

 “Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it’ll spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein

In the animal kingdom, it is clear that each animal has a different purpose. Horses are for transportation, dogs and cats are house pets meant to bring us joy, monkeys are meant to climbs trees, and fishes are meant to swim. Now imagine what would happen if you made any of these animals act out of accordance with what they were made for. It just wouldn’t work or make sense to use penguins to pull sleighs or elephants to climb trees—yet so often is seems that is what our society has conditioned people to do—to act out of accordance with what they were purposed and shaped for. 

We have standardized tests and mandatory classes that don’t fit everyone’s shape and can often make us feel like we’re trying to fit a square peg in a round hole! It just doesn’t feel right.

When I first exited high school, I took a year off to work on my book that I felt very strongly and passionately about. To many people, that may seem unorthodox, unusual, or maybe even irresponsible, but I knew it was what I was meant to do—it gave me purpose, meaning, and brought my life joy. I know writing is what I’ve been shaped for because it’s what I enjoy doing; it gives me satisfaction and makes me excited about my future. When I read and learn new concepts and ideas and I’m able to share those ideas through writing, I feel “in the zone.” It makes me happy and gives me purpose.

What’s amazing is that we all have a God-given shape and design that allows us to accomplish and fulfill the purpose for which we have been created for. We all have a purpose, and we are all shaped to fulfill a mission in life which will bring us most joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment!

Oprah Winfrey once said, “You've got to follow your passion. You've got to figure out what it is you love –who you really are. And have the courage to do that. I believe that the only courage anybody ever needs is the courage to follow your own dreams.”

So the question then becomes, “What is my shape, purpose, or life mission? What have I been put on this planet to do?” A good way in discovering what your purpose or mission here on earth is to evaluate what it is that you value most. You can do that by asking yourself: “What in my life is most important to me?”

What is it that brings you the most joy and fulfillment? When are the times that you feel most purposeful and fulfilled? What are the times you feel most intelligent and “in-the-game?”

Finding your shape and your God-given purpose can lead you to the life of your dreams. Most people who are unhappy or frustrated with their lives feel that way because they feel stuck in circumstances in which they are not accomplishing their purpose or fulfilling their dreams. You don’t have to live that way! You can live to your full potential and experience life as it was meant to be lived—in its most purposeful, fulfilling, and satisfying way!

Below I’ve included a few more very important questions that can help you even further discover what it is that is most important to you, so that you can begin shaping your life, taking action steps, and acting in a way that will draw you closer to fulfilling your life’s purpose and make life most fulfilling!

·         What takes up your space? What do most of your possessions consist of? Your possessions reveal what is most important to you.

·         How do you spend your time? You always have time for the things which are most important to you.

·         How do you spend your energy? We always have or make energy for things that are most valuable to us.

·         What do you spend most of your money on?

·         Where are you most disciplined and focused?

·         Where are you most organized and ordered?

·         What do you think about most? What do you dream about? What are your innermost dominant thoughts?

·         What is your personal and internal vision? What kind of situations do you visualize, what is your ideal goal or dream in life?

·         What do you talk about most? Pay attention to what you talk about, because it will reveal what is most important to you!

·         What do you emotionally react to? What you feel most passionate about will reveal to you what you value most.
What are your goals?

·         What are you inspired by?

 

Now that you may hopefully have a better understanding of what you value, and what is most important to you, you can begin to take action steps toward accomplishing your goals, fulfilling your shape, and reaching your God-given dreams!

In the words of Henry David Thoreau, I encourage you to, “Go boldly in the direction of your dreams,” and to “live the life you have imagined.”

“At least three times every day take a moment and ask yourself what is really important. Have the wisdom and the courage to build your life around your answer.” -Lee Jampolsky

"Fail Foward"

Sometimes, in life we are not always were we want to be. Things may seem to be taking longer than they should be, dreams may appear to be delayed or even failed, and everything just seems to be moving too slowly. You might feel "stuck" in a certain situation, or even like you've failed at accomplishing certain tasks. Well, I'm here to tell you that despite what it may seem like on an external plane, that God has you exactly where He wants you. Despite what may appear to be delays in accomplishing your goals are really just character-building steps that are leading you closer and closer to accomplishing your dreams. So don't get frustrated, discouraged, or distraught when things don't seem to be going your way or as you had planned. Instead, thank God things are not going your way! Because His way and His plans for your life are so much greater than anything you could have planned or done on your own! Just keep being patient, keep perservering, and don't give up! You may be right around the corner from a breakthrough. But, until then, "keep your eyes on the prize." Work with the end goal in mind; imagine the feeling of accomplishing that goal. If things don't seem to be going right, if you feel like a failure, then get excited! Why? Because God loves using people who may consider themselves inadequate or unsuccessful and using them to show His adequacy, His success, His power, and strength to do something so completely beyond what they considered possible.


When you feel like a failure, remind yourself of all the other people before you that "failed foward." Thomas Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When asked about it, Edison said, "I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb." He didn't see his failed attempts as ultimate sentences of failure. Instead, he saw his unsuccessful attempts all as stepping stones bringing him closer and closer to his end goal: The light bulb. Because Edison did not give up after the 10th, 50th, even 500th attempt, we now have light accessible to us whenever we need it. Think about the impact your goals could possibly have on society, or the world, if you don't give up and keep pursuing your God-given dreams. There is no limit to what you can do when God is on your side. "Failure" is not final. Failure is only failure when you give up, everything else just means you are one step closer to accomplishing your dreams.


"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!" (Habakkuk 2:3 TLB).

Follow Your God-Given Dream

God has given each of us a special dream or vision of what we would like our lives to look like. He's imputed within each of us a purpose to make an impact in this world for the better. Each and every one of us has been hand-crafted, uniquely designed with a specific purpose that only we can fulfill because we were created for it! God may have put a dream in your heart that, to the outside world, may seem completely ridiculous or even impossible. Something I've learned however, is that nothing is impossible for God. If you've let go of your God-given dream because it seems too unatainable, know that the God you serve holds the universe in the palm of His hand. He gave you that dream for a reason! It is attainable! God is more for you than you are for yourself! With Him on your side, nothing is impossible!


Start taking action today towards your God-given dream.  Every large goal starts with one, small and minute action. No matter how large your goal may be, take one step at a time, only looking at the step right in front of you--soon enough you will see your dream come to pass!