So why do we let those dreams just slip away so often? There are many reasons and many ways that we allow this to happen - but there is one little trick which, when you use it, can eliminate all of those problems. More on that in a minute, but let's just review where things can go wrong.



First up is our old friend procrastination. This guy gets in wherever there is something to do that we don't think we will enjoy - from changing jobs to taking out the trash - this is where "busy work" suddenly becomes vitally important - anything else - even though we know we will still have to go back and take care of the original task in the end. And the crazy part is that when you do face up that task, it's usually not that bad anyway! How many times have you told yourself that this is your year, but December rolls around again and somehow the timing just hasn't been quite right all year? News flash - there is no "better time" - there's only now.

The next place we let things drop is in clearly defining just what we want. If you want to drive from New York to Los Angeles, just knowing you want to go "west-ish" is not enough - you need a firm direction to drive in and preferably a street address of your destination. If you were visiting John in Los Angeles - would heading West and asking strangers for directions along the way work? Yet this is the way many of us go about our dreams - "I want more money" is not a clear goal for example. If someone gave you an extra $1 - would that cover it? I doubt it, so exactly how much do you want and when do you want it? Take a moment and make sure that you have your dreams thought out and written down - they should be big enough to stretch you, but not so big that you cannot believe them.

Then the third way our dreams drift away is in making a plan and taking action. There's a whole book just in this area, but here's a few things to consider about this. To begin, make sure you have your goal clear before reviewing 2008. Is there anything you did last year that did not move you towards that goal? What did you do that did get you closer to your goal? Now take a look at 2009 - what steps can you take right away to get on the road to your goal? Finally, what additional steps could you take to make that goal a reality? Changing jobs, going back to school, starting your own business - if you cannot see the big steps, just take the small steps - the bigger ones will become clear later on.

Finally - take action! Don't wait until you have the perfect goal or the perfect plan - that's procrastination! Give yourself a time limit - maybe the weekend, and then start to take actions. One thing is for sure - you will never have the perfect plan and your goal will continue to evolve as you get closer to it, so do what you know to do today and move towards your goal as it is today - tomorrow you will have a clearer goal and a new set of actions. But do something, every single day!

Now - here comes the magic ingredient. If you take the fuzziest of goals and the sketchiest of plans, and you apply this final step - you can improve your chances dramatically. Ready? You won't even believe how simple it is...

Start to share!

We will let ourselves off the hook every single time when it comes to making changes and improving our lifestyle. But if there is a chance that we might look bad in front of others, then we will move heaven and earth to avoid that. So put yourself on the line - tell everyone you know and everyone you meet what you are going to do and why - just telling others will make it more real to you and every time you come to a decision point, you will make the right decision, even if it is the hard decision, just because you told others you would.

So - have your targets for the year set, your plans made and then get the word out so that this can be your best year ever!