Make Your New Years Resolution a Success

Well, we are now over a week into the New Year. How is your resolution to “get more organized” going? Are you making progress, or is it just another good intention fallen by the wayside? Did you know that an average of 78% of all New Year’s resolutions fail? What can you do to ensure that your resolution is successful? Follow these tips to start this year out on a positive note:

• Pick One Thing – Don’t plan to organize your garage, sort your papers, create a filing system, and install a closet system. Even if there are multiple areas in your life that you would like to organize, start with the one that will give you the most benefit. It will be much less overwhelming this way.

• Change Your Ways – Some say the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. Have you tried to accomplish your New Year’s resolution in the past and failed? If so, what are you doing differently this year?

• Be Positive – If you start your New Year’s resolution off with “I’m hoping to…” or “I’m going to try…”, then you are giving yourself an out. If you find yourself saying, “I probably won’t achieve this, because…” then you are right. As Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.” Stay positive!

• Be Specific – Your New Year’s Resolution should be a SMART goal. A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time Sensitive. In one of my favorite books, Success Principles, author Jack Canfield says “Vague goals produce vague results.” I would argue this same logic can be applied to your resolution. If your New Year’s resolution is to “get more organized”, how will you know if or when you have achieved it? Instead, how about ‘I will get a closet system installed by March 1, 2012′ or ‘I will create a filing system for my office by February 12, 2012 at 5pm’.

• Share Your Goal – Research shows that if you tell others about your goal, you are more likely to achieve it. This provides some accountability and makes it harder to ignore. If others are aware of your goal, they can help encourage you along the way.

I hope these tips will help you achieve your resolution and make this year the best ever.

Donna Lindley, Certified Professional Organizer and owner of Rochester Hills, MI-based Organize Your World, Inc.