Many people stop short of setting goals because they're concerned that if they don't meet them, they'll experience a sense of failure. I'd like to propose a remedy ? it's a strategy I call ?float the goal.? Here's how it works:



Step 1: Identify a goal for 2008. Write it down clearly and succinctly, and make sure it's a goal that you can easily keep in your head, such as a dollar amount that you want to earn, the amount of weight you want to lose or the kind of friendship you want to develop.

Step 2: Periodically, ?float? the goal in your mind. I mean ? run the goal through your mind and simply observe it for a second or two. ?Oh, that's right. I want to earn $100,000 in 2008.? Then let it go by moving on to the next thought. Refrain from getting ?attached? to the goal. Being attached to the goal sounds like ?I'm afraid I won't meet the goal? or ?How will I ever meet this goal?? or ?If I don't meet it, I'm a failure.? Negative attachments will quickly catapult you down a mental rabbit hole that has no exit.

Step 3: Let go of ?how.? With the ?float the goal? strategy, ?how? isn't a requirement. Isn't that nice? That's one of the perks of the strategy that I love. In fact, ?figuring out? how to achieve the goal is counterproductive. You want to set the goal, float it in your mind and move forward more intuitively, whether that's through networking, marketing or researching. Keep taking action and putting your energy out there by ? as the author Julia Cameron says ? ?shaking the trees.?

Step 4: Go out and have fun. You might be thinking ? how does fun connect with accomplishing a goal? Let me explain. Sometimes when we're having difficulty meeting a goal, we get tight, serious and start either berating ourselves or blaming external circumstances. All of these strategies are counterproductive. While an honest analysis of whether you're taking the best actions can be beneficial -- once you've reviewed your actions, go out and have fun. Lighten things up. Generate positive energy. Take a mental load off -- a watched pot never boils and neither does a watched goal.

Step 5: Harvest positivity. This is the skill of active observation. Consciously choose to find and focus on the positive in any situation. You may have a lifelong habit of focusing on the negative in situations that aren't to your liking, feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar. Again, a negative focus will steer you down an unproductive path. So identify the positive ? once you do, you'll feel like you have more control. There's nothing like looking at an array of positive options to boost your spirits and create that ?I'm in charge? feeling.

Step 6: Notice what you're avoiding. ?What we resist, persists.? I don't know who originally uttered these words, but they are 100 percent true. What we resist or avoid, internally or externally, not only persists, it usually expands over time. Be brutally honest with yourself about what you're avoiding at this very moment. And what do you tend to avoid time and time again? Once you have the answer, you can take action on it, which will open the pathway to meeting your goal with much greater ease. What could be better than ease?

Step 7: Go out and have fun. Seriously. Don't forget to have fun! When in doubt, do something nice for yourself or for someone else. Change the energy ? don't let it stagnate. There's nothing like the power of positive energy to smooth the pathway to attracting what you want in your life.

Remember, a goal is simply a direction, not necessarily a destination. We're never really done. Once you reach one goal, the next goal or goals appear in your vision. So in 2008, float your goals and watch the new, different and exciting results that float into your life. And get ready to expect the unexpected!