The holiday season has come upon us again.  This time of year, more than any other is when people dream about what they would like their life to look like in the new year and beyond.  Some of the main “resolutions” or “goals” that people have revolve around weight loss, overall health, relationships, finances and an overall better quality of life.

These are all very admirable and worthy goals to have for ourselves and our future.  It is imperative that we make a commitment to ourselves that we take the necessary steps and actions to reach our goals.

Health and overall life goals are similar in that we must make lifestyle changes, instead of a short term diet approach.  A diet is a short term solution to a long term problem, which is often a poor nutritional intake.  Many times people say they “are going to go on a diet,” and when you say you are going to go on something, their is a good chance you will go off it as well.  In order to attain the long term results we desire, we must make a conscious decision that we are worthy of achieving the dreams we desire.  If we don’t fully believe that we are worthy of achieving our dreams, and our dreams are worth pursuing, our lives will stay the same as it always has.

Making changes can be tough, and sometimes even intimidating, but they are necessary if we are to have our dreams turn in to reality.  If we don’t begin to make positive changes, our lives will stay the same, and many times it is not where we would like to be in our life.  As business philosopher Jim Rohn says “We must all suffer from one or two pains: The pain of discipline, or the pain of regret.  The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”

Having an accountability partner can be very beneficial in helping to reach our goals.  An accountability partner is someone who you trust to hold you to the standards that we set for ourselves.  It can be beneficial if the accountability partner is someone who has achieved what you are looking to achieve, or is someone that is on the same path as us.  Their may be times when we may feel down, or like giving up, but an accountability partner can help keep us on track towards our desires goals.

Most importantly, have a strong vision for yourself and where you want to be over the next year.  Writing down your goals is a great way to get our creative juices flowing and design the life we would like for ourselves.  Write down what you would like your days, weeks, and months to be like, who would you like to spend your time with and even go so far as what car you’d like to drive and where you would like to live.  Similarly, a vision board is a tool that is used to help clarify, concentrate, and focus on a specific life goal.  In a study of Harvard Graduate students who were asked if they have set clear goals for their future and only 3% had written goals and plans.  That 3% who had written goals went on to earn on average, 10x as much as the 97% who did not have written goals.

Always remember that we are the painters, artists, writers, Rock Stars and heroes in our own lives.  Never let anyone hold the pen, or paintbrush and dictate how your life should be led.

1. It’s My Life

   Song by Bon Jovi
2. This ain’t a song for the broken-hearted
   No silent prayer for the faith-departed
   I ain’t gonna be just a face in the crowd
   You’re gonna hear my voice
   When I shout it out loud

   It’s my life
   It’s now or never
   I ain’t gonna live forever
   I just want to live while I’m alive
   (It’s my life)
   My heart is like an open highway
   Like Frankie said
   I did it my way
   I just wanna live while I’m alive
   It’s my life