It being the new year when many people make goals for themselves, it seems only fitting to talk about how to organize your goals and time to make this year different.

1. What do you want?

The first step in deciding your goals is to determine what you really want. Most people don’t take time on this step. One of the best ways to do this may be able to think about yourself five years in the future and then ten years in the future. Where do you see yourself? Do you want to change this? Sometimes the best way to get to your goals is to begin at the point where you want to be and work backward.

2. Small steps

One of the biggest mistakes we all seem to make is the thought that we can just work on things for a week and lose all the weight or make the house look like Real Simple magazine. It’s just not going to happen that way. The most effective way to do anything is small steps done consistently day by day. We all tend to “bite off more than we can chew” when setting new goals and this sets us up for quick failure. If you want to lose weight, start out small (10 minutes a day of walking and adding salad to one meal a day). If you want to declutter your kitchen, find 10 items a day that you can donate or pitch.

3. Make a note

Most of us have one large goal we want to accomplish. Write in down in a short sentence and carry it in your wallet with you or put it on the door of your cup cupboard. Reading your goal on paper several times a day is very powerful. It’s how the most successful people in the world got that way. Jim Carrey started it all by writing himself a $10 million dollar check long before we knew him. What is your big goal? Write it down now.

4. Tell someone

It’s all about keeping your word. We tend to feel much more committed to things that we’ve promised someone else we would do. When you decide what your goal will be, tell as many people as you can. You won’t want to have to explain why you didn’t follow through on your goal later, and they’ll check in on your progress occasionally, so you’ll be more motivated to keep working on your goals.

5. Own it

You are responsible for your life and how you spend your time. Be willing to stop blaming others and start owning your failures and your successes. You are 100% responsible for where you are today and what you will be in five years. Stop blaming your parents, your spouse, your coworkers, etc. for your miserable mood and messy house. Stop pointing the finger and start taking action.

“In my dreams, your dreams come true” – a quote I recently saw on an email signature. This sums it up. I wish you much success with your new year’s resolutions!