New Year's Resolution?

New Year's Resolution?

Should I or not?  Over my many years, I have found that making a New Year's Resolution is a lot like setting a sales performance goal, but with a major difference.

In the marketing business, I have always set monthly goals for production.  To be successful in selling, goals normally must be set for shorter terms.  This enables one to quickly recognize when we have not achieved our goal and can quickly re-group and re-set our goal for the next month and get back on target.  Like quitting smoking; it is a short "one day at a time" goal.

The problem I see with a "New Year's Resolution" is that if it is a meaningful goal, how does one know when they are on target and what checks and balances do we have?

If as a Realtor®, I resolve to work harder (easy for me, since I have been very lazy so far,) how do I measure my success?

What happens if I have resolved to sell a house a month and suddenly, come April, I only have one sold and nothing working?

Suddenly, in the fourth month of the year, I now cannot see myself selling eleven more homes by the end of 2010.

 My New Year's Resolution, being a one time goal, is now shot and I have failed.  I cannot revise my goal, because mentally, it is an annual target, and therefore I have ruined my year.  After having lived with goal setting being a major part of my successful career, I find that I cannot resolve to do anything with the rewards being further out than 60 days.  If a goal stretches beyond that period, whether it be a New Year's Resolution or an achievement goal, I feel if it is important then it must be either achieved or I face the letdown of failure.  I guess my goal-oriented mind cannot comprehend a mountain so high that it takes a year to climb it.

Consequently, I will not be setting a New Year's Resolution other than to spend more time working.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!