Looking back at the past year, there are a number of things I would have done differently. For example, one day I received feedback that was negative and I didn’t deal with it correctly. My poor response to this feedback dramatically impacted the outcome of the situation—for the worse.  Hopefully, I’ve learned something from the experience.

How about you? Is there anything about yourself that you want to change for the better in 2017?

If so, here are some suggestions I picked up from Ken Blanchard about keeping my commitment to my good intentions. I know they will help me.  See if they might help you also.

1. Write your goals down. Research shows that people who write down their goals accomplish significantly more than people who do not write their goals. As Ken shares, “In the working environment, writing goal statements is a common practice. However, many times when people are setting personal goals, they think about what they want to do but they don’t write anything down.”
2. Review your goals on a regular basis. Ken suggests reviewing goals each morning and reflecting on how you did each evening. “Give yourself the gift of thinking about your day for a few minutes. What did you do during the day that was consistent with your resolutions, and what got in the way?”
3. Ask others to help you stay on track. We all need help accomplishing our goals. Find an accountability partner—someone you can check in with on a regular basis. “Accomplishing the goal is usually more difficult than we think it will be, yet we rarely ask for help from others who can support us. Be systematic about checking in with your helpers. Set up a specific time each week to talk about how you are progressing. This can be as simple as a ten-minute phone call or even a quick text.”

In 2017, I will be more patient and loving, and will embrace the curve balls life throws my way. I won’t sweat the small things in life and I’ll trust that the big things will work themselves out. I plan to be more centered on who I am, not on what others think of me. I’m not interested in being someone else’s perception of what they want me to be. I want to be a better version of myself.

Okay, step 1 accomplished—writing goals down—now on to steps 2 and 3!

Why don’t you take a minute to reflect over the year and ask yourself who you will be in 2017.

Now take your first step!