Turning Over a New Leaf

When you decide to do something different to change your life for the better, you are turning over a new leaf.  As 2011 approaches, I, like most people, start to think about New Year's resolutions.

Over the years, I've made many New Year's resolutions.  Besides the fact that I never followed through with most of them, I've noticed that, as I got older and older, I made fewer and fewer of these resolutions.

Did you know that studies have been done of this subject and that fewer than 12% of the people studied kept their resolutions?  These people who did keep their resolutions, for the most part, looked on their resolutions as goals for the year.

I have, in the recent past few years, written down my goals for the year.  Doing so certainly helped me to reach some of them.  During the year, I would review my goals and see how I was doing.  Some goals were reached; others were revised; others were not achieved.

So, for 2011, I resolve not to make any foolish New Year's resolutions.  I certainly have some personal goals for 2011.  But, I won't be talking to anyone about them.  I'll just monitor my progress quietly and see how I do.  It worked well for me in 2010 so, maybe, it'll work well for me in the coming year.