Before you begin a thing, remind yourself that difficulties and delays quite impossible to foresee are ahead. You can only see one thing clearly and that is your goal. Form a mental vision of that and cling to it through thick and thin. (Kathleen Norris)

If we are ever in doubt about what to do, it is a good rule to ask ourselves what we shall wish on the morrow that we had done. (John Lubbock)

The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them. (Denis Watley)

We can be our own worst enemy at times. How often can you see that it was you who actually got in your own way on the path to fulfilling a goal?

It was usually only a thought that got in the way! Something that you made up...so, you could make up something else. A replacement thought that empowers you.

Write down as many of the discouraging thoughts that you can recall, from those times you actually stopped yourself. Alongside each of these, record a replacement thought that really gives you some power.

What could you put in place so that you remember to replace your negative thoughts with an empowering thought? An automatic pop up on your computer screen? A colourful card sitting up on your desk or pasted to the front of your diary?

Most days we say some horrid things to ourselves and we aren't even conscious that the tape is playing!

Consider also, the people with whom you surround yourself. Are there people with whom you could spend more time? Are there people with whom you could spend less time?

Lastly, when exploring your 2004 New Year resolutions - here are a few pointers to send you on your way:

Are your intented outcomes crystal clear to you and do you have them somewhere on display for yourself - in words or images? Do you have powerful reasons for wanting to accomplishing your chosen goals?

Make a practice of writing down your 6 top priority goals, daily. It is worth those extra 5 minutes each day - recreating your desire for reaching that next stepping stone.

Are your New Year resolutions feasible? Are the deadlines too tight? Could your goals be broken down into bite sized chunks (i.e. milestones along the way). You may easily become discouraged if your goals seems impossible to achieve. This can chip away at your confidence in going after what you want. A strong belief in your goals is mandatory.

Have you put something in place to really celebrate each milestone victory, great or small? This will expand your personal confidence. Reward the source of your results.

For further personal exploration:
A site with practical tools for creative dreamers is http://www.howmuchjoy.com
An extremely resourceful site to visit is http://www.ehappylife.com/custom/about.html

If the links (above) are not 'live', then simply cut and paste them into your browser.

2005 © Thea Westra is an international life coach who resides in Perth, Australia. She is editor and publisher of a free, monthly newsletter which you can receive by going to her website http://www.forwardsteps.com.au She also publishes a blog called Triggers http://forwardsteps.blogspot.com

• What Do You Say Your 2006 Will Be About?


• Make an Action Plan to Achieve Your Goals


• End Goals vs. Means Goals


• Where Do Goals Come From?


• Cause-Effect vs. Intention-Manifestation


• Integrity in the Moment of Choice


• Dynamic Planning


• SMARTER Goal Setting


• The Power of Clarity


• Cultivating Burning Desire