The reality is we set goals on New Year's Eve that we never really take ownership of or even truly expect to achieve. Have you ever made a wish? Of course you have, we all have.

On Thanksgiving, we have a tradition in our home where two people clench opposing ends of the dried turkey wishbone, we quitely make a wish and pull. As the tradition goes, after the intense conflict comes to an end the victor of the large piece of the wishbone will have his wish become real, it hardly does. Why you may ask?

We have been told that if we put a commanding enough intention out into the universe we can accomplish it. I was also taught, "If it's God's will, it will come to pass." I presuppose both of those statments are true. However, for either the higher power or the universe to dash in and help you get what you long for you have to do more than just wish for it, you have to know definitely what it is that you desire first.

Let me put it this way, the last time I came up with the large end of the wishbone I prayed for a million bucks and I didn't get it. That might have been a good thing. Because if I had been granted my prayers, I might have been surrounded by a enormous herd of big horn sheep. Praying for a million bucks is too ambiguous to be anything more than a wish.

Notwithstanding wishes do at times come true I'm sure the majority of us would rather not bet our future on the potential outcome of a wish.

You possess what Maxwell Maltz has coined, an internal success mechanism. It's the piece of you that will move the rest of you kicking and screaming if needed toward what you indubitably yearn for in life.

For this New Year you can start programming your internal success mechanism by turning your "New Year's Resolution" into an exact intention for your goal achievement. That requires getting crystal clear on precisely what you desire, why you desire it, and then writing it down as a clear and specific goal achievement statement.

The reality is your capability is bottomless. You can have everything you wish for but you have to first make it a true intention. Then you can proclaim to the rest of the world, "This year, I will..."