Two Things about Setting Goals

Happy new year everyone! I hope you enjoyed the holidays and enjoy a fresh start and vibrant health during the New Year!

You have set some goals or resolutions for the New Year by now. And if you haven’t, don’t worry. It is never too late to do so. I’ve read a lot about goal setting over the past few weeks and I’ve noticed that most of the articles contain most of the same information. That you should:

·        Set SMART Goals. These are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time bound.

·        Write your goals down so that you are more likely to achieve them. Numerous studies (and likely personal experiences of your own or someone you know will validate this) have shown that writing your goals down greatly increases your chances of achieving them.

·        Plan both long term and short term goals. Short term goals help build momentum and are vital to achieving long term goals.

·        Review all goals frequently to stay motivated, monitor progress, make adjustments and keep them in the forefront of your mind.

This is all good, solid information that is highly valuable. What I didn’t see much of was the daily grind. The nitty gritty. Here are two things that will also be highly valuable to you as you work on making 2017 your best year yet.

1.      Setting goals can be hard work

Sure, anyone can sit down and write out “I want to lose weight” or “I want to make more money”. Chances of success for this kinds of goals is minimal because they are not specific. Focusing in and being as specific as possible takes a little extra work and planning. Even when specific goals are set, there is still the discipline of working toward them every day and evaluating your progress.

 Here is an example of a goal that is unlikely to be achieved even if written down: “I want to lose weight in 2017”. It is bland and general.

Here is an example of a well thought short term goal that is likely to be achieved: “I want to start my own business in January 2017. I will use my artistic skills to create hand- made greeting cards, which I will sell on my site store. I will start designing the cards on January 5 and offer 3 different types of cards (list them). I will look to sell 1 per day minimally at a cost of $5.00. I will set up my site/store by January 31 and be ready to sell then. I’ll get the word out to family and friends and on social media to build excitement and a potential customer base. This business will allow me to use my love of art to do fulfilling work and make extra money.

You can see the difference in the level of thought and effort between the two (and sadly, far too many set goals similar to the first example, hence why the percentage of people who actually achieve their goals remains in the single digits). It’s not just the extra effort that goes into setting the goal, it’s the details required to achieve it—setting up the store, creating the different types of cards, spreading the word about the business and doing it all within the timeframe.

2.      Failure is always an option

No matter how specific you are and how much you want to achieve your goal, there is a good chance you will fail at some point along the way. When that happens, you have two choices. You can become dejected, quit and beat yourself up for failing. Then wait another year, or years, to start again. Or you can view the failure and a learning opportunity and use it to be more efficient. Think about it, if you try option A and it doesn’t work, it doesn’t mean your goal is unattainable. It simply means there is a different, a better way to get to it. Thomas Edison failed more than 1,000 times when inventing the light bulb! One thousand times! His mindset was what kept him going and made him a success. He didn’t see it as failure, he saw it as “finding ways that didn’t work”.  By the way, Edison was a man who was once called “too stupid to learn anything” by his teachers. That’s not the way he perceived himself or his work and we’d all be very smart to learn from his example. Fail. Then find another way to get to your goal.

Whatever your goal in 2017, I wish you much success in achieving it! Put in the time and the work. Be disciplined. Set your sights high and give it all you have. It won’t be easy…but it will be worth it and it will change your life!

How 8 Little Words Changed My Life

Has someone ever said something to you that made you stop in your tracks? Because you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that what they said is right. And you just know that the words you just heard will change your life.

That happened to me recently. For weeks, the stress of getting out of the house in the morning was rising. I felt the clenching of my jaw. The tension in my shoulders, which for me get moved upward and remain static in a shrug position until I catch on and take a moment to breathe and release. The uncomfortable heaviness in the chest. This is how I experience stress and frustration.

 My mornings start early. I’ve got lunches to make, two kids to clothe, a cat to care for, bags to pack, breakfast to make and serve, all before I get myself ready to get out the door. There are two separate drop off destinations for my children. Navigating through Long Island morning school traffic is usually enough in itself to cause stress. Doing so while trying to get the three of us where we need to be, safely and timely, it’s been causing some friction for me. I found myself rushing and snapping and feeling agitated. Getting cut off by rude and reckless drivers just about every single morning adds to it. To be fair, I’ve let it happen. I chose that reaction. I could have chosen a different reaction.

As a dad, I do my best not to show that side to my kids too often. They don’t need it and they certainly don’t deserve it. I do my best to practice gratitude because I’ve been blessed in so many ways. But I am human and make mistakes. Over the past month, I’ve made more than I care to admit. I’ve outwardly displayed frustration, been snippy, felt rushed (and made others feel rushed) and said one or two things out loud that I wished I hadn’t. Kids see and hear it all.

One recent sunny morning, I had just dropped my daughter off at day care and was ready to take my son to his preschool. Just as I pulled out of the drive, I apologized to him for being impatient. He didn’t do anything wrong. In his little voice, which is filled with the wisdom of a child who lives life right, he sweetly and patiently said “Maybe you have a bad germ in you”. Brake. Car in park. Say that again please buddy. He did. I asked him why he said it and he replied “because you’re always frustrated in the morning time”.  With that, my life changed. Immediately, the stress of the mornings was put into perspective and I knew right there how to handle it. And it’s not just morning time stress, it can be any stressor at any time of day.

I knew what he said was right. Unequivocally. I wanted him to repeat it because it was simple and brilliant. Truly brilliant. I needed to hear it again because I was enlightened. Here I am, a 40-something who successfully coaches people on personal development. I wrote an eBook on self-improvement. When I needed a hand with a problem, it wasn’t my experience or an experienced, expensive coach that came through. It was my 4-year old son. I love how it all happened! I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’ve long said that kids live life right. They know happy. They know joy. They know play and they spend almost all of their time doing things they love to do. That’s the way to do it. My son and other kids his age- they don’t know complicated. They know fun and free. And now, every time I find myself stressing about something that isn’t worthy of the effort, I say to myself “I have a bad germ in me”. Then, I visualize the germ being quickly eradicated from me. I smile. Then get on with my day. I haven’t felt an ounce of that stress since. My mornings are so much more enjoyable. I'm showing the good stuff again. It literally changed my life and how I view stressors. It works. Like magic!

How Life Changes When You Live Authentically

I was out for a walk earlier today. It’s a bright, beautiful day here on Long Island. The sky is a rich blue and the white fluffy clouds that I love so much are lazily floating across the sky. As I do every day, I took time to savor my surroundings and the stunning beauty that this world has to offer. I looked up and admired those clouds both for how they look and for the view the have. I’m a little jealous. I took note of how different the world looks through a good, quality pair of sunglasses.

The blues are bluer and the whites, whiter. The view becomes even more 3-dimensional from behind the lens. And somehow, clarity is sharpened to an eagle-like level. Maybe it’s because I’ve worn eyeglasses since I was four years old but my vision is completely changed when I wear those sunglasses.

As I walked with the warm sun on my back, it struck me that in the same way sunglasses can change and enhance ones view of their surroundings, so too can living authentically change and enhance ones view of life.

Authentic living requires that you spend time doing things that make you happy, that make you feel fulfilled. It requests that you showcase your natural talents and strengths to add value to your life and the lives of others. By definition, it means living in a way that is true to your existence. And by nature, its outcome equals a harmonious existence.

When you live a life true to who and what you are supposed to be, circumstances change. Your mindset will change. Magic happens. Closed turns to open. Impossible blossoms into possible. Excuses become a memory. Procrastination propels to action. Fear, yeah it’s still there. But it doesn’t grab you and pull you back. It doesn’t keep you frozen and stagnant. Instead, you acknowledge it and move past it. Because you know without a doubt that you’ll kick its ass if it wants to go a round with you. And it knows it too.

We get one chance at this life. One chance to live how we want. Once chance to show our children and our loved ones the fierce courage we have inside. Once chance to model the lessons we want to instill in them. One chance. That’s it. So if you’re letting your thoughts and view dictate your limits, if you’re letting fear win, if you’re making excuses as to why something is just not possible, put on those sunglasses, believe in the possibilities and chase your dreams! Because once you do, you’ll see the world in a way that you never have before. I promise.

6 Things You Must Do As You Start Out To Chase Your Dreams

Congratulations- you’ve decided that you’re going to start chasing your dreams and live the life you really want to live! It’s a seminal time in your life and you’ll want to do it right. There will be obstacles along the away, some of which will be self-imposed. Take it from someone who has been there, done that--here are six must-do’s that can help you get out of your own way.

1)      Get your head on right. Let’s face it, we all have our baggage. Waiting for the perfect time is nothing but a self-defeating behavior. If you’re going to start this journey on the right foot, then your head must be in the right place. You must believe, at least a little, that your goals can be accomplished. You must have hope that if you dedicate yourself and put in the work every day, that helpful things and supportive people will cross your path. That requires an open mind. You wouldn’t get behind the wheel of a car if your brain was impacted and thoughts blurred. The same applies here. Get your head on right before you start and you’ll obliterate a major obstacle from the start.

2)       Break it down. A great way to quickly quell your pursuit is to think “big picture” all the time.  There is a time and a place for that. There is a time and place to take bites. If you want to be an author and sell a million books but have not penned a word of your manuscript, that goal is going to seem impossibly overwhelming. You’ve now put Mt Everest in your way. Who wants to begin a life changing journey facing such an exhaustive and monumental climb? You’ll talk yourself out of it and your dreams will be ripped away by the icy winds. Make it easier on yourself. Breaking it into smaller pieces makes it completely manageable and will keep your excitement and enthusiasm up! How can you do that? Make a set of short term goals, give yourself an end date within a week or two and then do the work. Small, actionable steps will help you get started and construct a foundation of confidence and momentum. These have to be done before you can sell your book anyway. The point here is—don’t do yourself in by thinking thoughts that are so far from your current reality that they seem insurmountable. A slight tweak in your thought process can lead to gigantic gains.

3)     Take time to reflect and celebrate. When undertaking such essential endeavors, it is much easier and enjoyable to walk with little resistance. If you’re like me, you’ve been beating yourself up for holding yourself back for so long that all you want to do now is race to get to your end goal. I admire the tenacity and sense of urgency. Be sure you take time to celebrate your successes every week. When you reflect on the steps you’ve taken, you’ll see the progress made. Be proud of that and remember nothing is too small to acknowledge. If you’ve been consistent and worked toward your goal every day, celebrate it, regardless of how far you think you’ve moved the needle.

4)     Ask yourself this one question every day.  “What is one step I can take today to get closer to my goals?” Sometimes, even when we’re structured and diligent in our dream chasing, we can let things stray off course. Asking yourself this question brings clarity and inspires action. It makes you take another look at your plans for the day. It has helped me on a few occasions to identify a bigger priority, change direction and slay a dragon. I also like to ask myself this question after I am satisfied with the progress I’ve made at the end of the day. Getting a nudge to get something else done gets you to your goal faster. Bottom line--it’s a good habit to get into.

5)     Don’t just accept change. Befriend it. When you make the sincere decision to chase your dreams with all you have, things will change. You’ll manage your time more wisely. You’ll cut out the time and energy zapping activities that don’t serve your purpose. Most importantly, you’ll spend more time doing things you love. Ultimately when you get to that place of freedom, it will also be a big change from the life you are living now. Change doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Making more money, having more freedom, increased personal and professional fulfillment, achieving goals that once seemed way out of reach—all of these are change. Change is good.

6)     Hope to Fail- Please, please, please--fail. Then make mistakes and fail again. In failing we learn better ways to do things. Sometimes, we learn that we’re doing things that aren’t congruent with our calling. But we don’t know that, or we don’t muster up the courage to shift direction until we have no other choice. Making mistakes and failing speeds up both processes. If you are failing then you are doing something outside of your comfort zone (if it was comfortable, you wouldn’t fail, right?).  Change the perception and meaning of that word internally and look forward to increasing your knowledge, wisdom and efficiency through failure.

Taking these six actions when I started pursuing my dreams has made a profound difference in my life. I had started and stopped so many times prior that it became evident I desperately needed to add structure and discipline. You’ll find as you reach more goals and milestones that you’ll add other helpful actions to your routine. In the meantime, this will get you off to a flying start and deter you from engaging in self-defeating thoughts and behaviors. The next step, starting, is entirely up to you. What is one step you can take today to get closer to your goals?

The Real Reason You are Crabby All the Time

Have you ever witnessed a bear being taken from its home in the wild and forced into captivity?  Neither have I. But I do know that the bear would not be pleased. It would be agitated, angry and quite frankly, pissed off.  That’s because the bear lives wild and free, just the way it was intended to. Bears were put on this earth as wild animals, not to be stuffed in some cage or displayed for profit. Doing that robs them of the very reason they exist.

In this regard, humans are no different than the bear. A few years back, I found myself being crabby, frustrated and annoyed far more often than I felt comfortable with. I snapped at my loved ones for little or no reason. Some nights I went to bed with a sense of unease and heaviness. While I wasn’t like this all of the time, I became acutely aware of my tone and choice of words. As someone who is polite and kind by nature, I had to find out what was eating at me.

I’ll admit that sometimes, it takes me a moment to pick up on things. I scanned my life and found so much to be grateful for. I had everything in place except for work that was fulfilling and high paying. What I had was a job. It didn’t pay well but the hours were convenient, it was close to home and it provided above average health benefits for my family. I’d always known that I wanted to create for a living, so I looked for other jobs where I could exercise my writing and coaching and development skills. The endeavor was years long and only added to my frustration and aggravation.

One day, in the blue of dawn, I had a revelation. After a solid and productive early morning writing session in which I created an awesome blog post and outline for a book, I felt extremely satisfied. Calm. Fulfilled. Blissful even. I hadn’t ever felt this way in my work life except for times I was coaching the best out of people for a world renowned training organization. In this environment I had just created, doing this creative work, I was the bear in the wild. I was doing what is innate in me. I was free- doing what I was put on this earth to do. When I was working for my former employer, it was the equivalent of being stuffed into a tiny cage. There was no freedom or satisfaction in it.

It is no coincidence that the moment I started a relentless pursuit of my authentic calling, the crabby part of me made a quiet, defeated exit. Don’t get me wrong, I am human and I have my moments. But the pride and satisfaction of chasing my dream soundly defeats the background noise that the past occasionally tries to bring up. It is a completely different life now. I get to use my favorite skills each and every day. I get to spend my time doing things I adore. When you achieve that, it doesn’t feel like “going to work”. Not even a little.

If you’ve been crabby, snippy, short, moody or anything similar, I urge you to scan your current reality and see if it is congruent with your authentic calling. If it’s not, take one step today to move towards your calling. Tomorrow, take another. One step at a time. Build some momentum because when you do, it will be hard to slow you down. You can travel one of two roads. One is filled with rumination and regret. And a cage. The other, wild and free. Just like it is supposed to be.

Life Lessons I Learned From My Kids

This morning, I was watching “Dora the Explorer” with my daughter. Not yet two years old, this beautiful child has been singing since before she could talk and dancing since before she could walk. It doesn’t matter what kind of music, or even how long it lasts, if she hears a beat or a note, she drops whatever she is doing to move to the rhythm. This morning was no different.

When one of the songs came on during the cartoon, she started singing. She didn’t know all of the words and given that she is not even two, she couldn’t even pronounce half of the words. It didn’t stop her. She hummed in perfect timing and pitch with the song! It was amazing- this girl just has an innate sense of music. I watched her closely and not knowing the words didn’t bother her in the least. Didn’t slow her or stop her in her tracks. She simply kept right on doing what she was doing and with a smile.

She will wiggler her little hips to a song, or twirl in circles on the carpet, or stretch her little hands to the sky as far as they will go, or walk around on her tippy-toes. Whatever the kind of dancing the moment calls for, she doesn’t hesitate to jump in and have fun! She has fun in just about everything she does.

My son recently turned four. He is the most creative kid I have ever met. Ever. He loves to sing and play with his guitar and keyboard. He plays drums on my bed and says “Daddy, this is a good rock and roll song”. Then he proceeds to make up a beat, strum his guitar and tap the piano keys, and make up his own lyrics! Let me tell you- the kid is talented. At bed time, we used to read a book every night. Lately, we started making up our own stories, usually at his prompt. He contributes, he is not just a passive listener but rather a very active and vocal participant.

He brings home projects from preschool. I picked him up early about two weeks ago and got to see him doing his color, cut and paste project. It was completely evident he was enjoying what he was doing. Creating. Learning and doing something new. I got to talking with his teacher and she mentioned his talent and affinity with numbers. How he can count to 100 and beyond and knows which numbers are larger and smaller than one hundred. When he doesn’t know- he asks. She commented that the work we are doing at home with numbers is clearly paying off. I commented that yes, we do talk numbers because he wants to talk numbers and that I was glad they were going over this in school because that was really paying off. She was confused- she said they are working on the letters of the alphabet and things that correspond to each letter but they haven’t delved into numbers yet (except basic counting).

I am not sure where he gained the interest of numbers (though his dad has an affinity for numbers as well), but it doesn’t matter. I was blown away that he took an interest in something new, something unfamiliar, and learned it almost entirely on his own at a level that is far beyond his age.

This might sounds like me bragging about my children (and maybe it is a little) but really, there are lessons to be learned. I certainly learned from these experiences with my toddler aged kids. What they taught me was that there is magic and power in creating and doing in the absence of fear. Kids don’t know fear. They know play. They know inquisitiveness. If fear enters their little thoughts, it doesn’t cause delay that is for sure. From them I learned that it is of the utmost significance that we enjoy what we do with our time and have fun and smile while we’re doing it. Not just because it makes life fun, but it also extinguishes the dangerous flames of stress. They taught me that curiosity leads to learning and that learning is a key ingredient to a wholesome life. My children show me that it is more than OK to jump in and do, even if you don’t know the words or exactly how to do it. And that if you do jump in and do without knowing all of the words, you won’t look silly or make a fool of yourself, rather you will find something wonderful waiting for you. Kids do it right. They live life right.

Maybe I knew some of these lessons before, but it really is easy to forget when life gets busy and there seems to be a never-ending list of things to get done and just not enough hours in the day. But watching my children play, seeing and feeling their magic—it has inspired me to live my life as a creator and someone who will keep moving forward even when fear is present and clearly competing for my attention.

 When we enter adulthood, we often become entangled in the mindset and habits of paying the bills, working full time and then some, fixing whatever is wrong with the house, maintaining the lawn and the thousand other things that occupy the mind. The freedom and lightness with which we approached life in childhood seems lost in time. A lifetime ago. It doesn’t have to be. We can and should change our view of the world and our role in it and see things through the eyes of a child. I’m not saying abandon your responsibilities and quit your job, I am simply suggesting to experience the joy and wonder in what you do in life. Even if only for a little while each day. Just like a child does. Because after all- kids do it right.

3 Things Donald Trump Is Absolutely Right About

I am not much into politics these days. I have grown weary of the same old; the blaming and finger pointing and name calling. And the lying. It never stops. But that’s just me and I am not here to discuss politics or express favor to a particular party or candidate.

               The controversial Donald Trump said many things in the Republican debate earlier this month. From reading the news and watching television, it is obvious that some think much of what he says are lies. As in any political debate, many brow raising comments were spit out. As a personal development coach, my ears heard three extremely valuable bits of advice that “The Donald” mentioned that can help you achieve higher levels of success.  Love him or hate him, what he said is truth.

1. “I’ve never seen a successful person who wasn’t flexible, who didn’t have a certainly degree of flexibility. You have to have a certain degree of flexibility”. Every successful person I know and have ever worked with, including multi-millionaires, entrepreneurs and C-Level executives, has visibly demonstrated flexibility. They know their way is not always the best, that there is value in observing the way that others go about their tasks and tremendous opportunity for improvement in the borrowing and exchanging of ideas. They have the self-awareness to know what their weaknesses are and to understand that intentionally being flexible and open minded opens doors that otherwise would have remained out of view.  To give an analogy—if you want to change your body, you have to change your workout and eating habits. The same applies here—if you want to find success on another level, than you have to think and do things differently. That is the asset known as flexibility.

2. “You have to be flexible because you learn”. Learning requires that you open yourself to seeing the world through a different lens. It demands that you give conflicting views a fair chance before making a decision. In some cases, it insists that you trust it even in the absence of definitive proof. When we learn, we grow and become better. If what you are doing is not working, then by being flexible you open yourself up to doing things another way and that might be just what you need to get unstuck and ascend to the next level. If you’ve ever known someone stubborn in their ways, someone who steadfastly refuses to change, then you know that person has not realized their authentic value or reached their full potential. That person has not expanded their mind to its fullest capacity. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or counsel when you are unsure. Don’t be afraid to try something new. But remember to be flexible because it is integral to your success.

3. “If you’re going to be one way and you think it’s wrong, does that mean that for the rest of your life you have to go in the wrong direction because you don’t want to change”? I thought this line was fantastic. Democrat, Republican or something else on the political spectrum—you can find countless topics to argue and disagree about. This is not one of them. How many people carry around the weight of the labels from their past and define their worth based on it? We all carry baggage around from childhood, from the teasing we experienced in youth, the failed relationships, the disappointment experienced when a well- intentioned endeavor ends in a way other than what we envisioned, the harsh criticism received from a clueless boss. Or from countless other sources. Your past doesn’t hold weight—it doesn’t define who you are right now. It doesn’t define what you can become. People redefine themselves all the time. Every day. People change careers, or become parents, or they overcome addictions and achieve goals that were once distant dreams. All of these major life changes and successes are made possible due to flexibility. Just surviving in this world requires the ability to change. Change requires with flexibility.

   Do yourself a favor, make yourself uncomfortable and be flexible to another view. Take to heart the words he spoke. Donald Trump might not be your choice for President. You may disagree with his style and his political stances and you might not even like the mention of his name. But no matter what the polls say, he is right-- you have to be flexible if you want to be successful and you do have the power to change directions if you are not satisfied with the direction you are headed in life.

3 SIMPLE TIPS TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

       I’m amazed to realize that we are already nearly one quarter of the way through the year. Research reveals something even more amazing — 36 percent of Americans who made a New Year’s Resolution have already given up on it. That number jumps to 54 percent in the next sixty days. Simply put- most people have the best of intentions but never achieve what they set out to achieve. Most people quit very early on, never giving their dreams a fair chance to become reality. That is very sad.

Do you want to be a part of that group? Do you want to be a statistic of unfulfilled aspirations? Do you want to look back with regret filled thoughts of “What if?” If you have not quit yet, keep going and use the following to help you achieve the things you truly want in life! If you have given up, do not beat yourself up. That only makes it worse. Instead, take action. Try something different. You can treat today as January 1st and renew your resolution and commitment to follow through. Can you think of one good reason why today is not a good day to start bettering yourself and creating the life you want? If you are one of the soon to be 54 percent of poor souls who have abandoned their resolutions, realize that you can get right back to it. Today. Right now.

Here are three tips to help you keep you on track:

1) Start small

Make one change at a time and increase the chances of success exponentially. When I am coaching using cognitive behavioral techniques, this is key to achieving success. For example, if someone wants to overcome a fear of flying, the first step of the approach to help them accomplish this is to first drive by the airport. That’s it. Step two is to watch planes take off and land. Step three is to go into the airport and just observe. The fourth step might be to take a walk through an airplane (if possible) or to watch videos of planes in all stages of flight. Doing this visualization exercise helps one “feel” what it is like to be on a plane. The final step is to get on a plane and take a short flight (and utilize breathing and calming techniques). But as you can see, this is intentionally done in small increments so conditions are primed for success.

2) Do not be hard on yourself

This one is important because people who have difficulty setting and achieving goals have a tendency to be hard on themselves. If you have a setback, remember it happens to everyone at some point. And your past is not an indicator of what you are capable of doing right here and now. Rather than feeling guilty, admit to yourself that you got off track and then utilize positive self -talk. Tell yourself that you have the ability to get right back on track IF you choose.

3) Get it on paper

This applies two-fold. It is always smart to write down your goals. Psychologists found that people who work at and make consistent progress towards goals live happier and more fulfilling lives than people who don’t. The additional benefit of writing it down manifests when you find yourself struggling. Simply writing down your past successes can help you regain confidence. Surely you have accomplished something meaningful—a solid relationship, a college education, a promotion at work, a compliment someone gave you after you helped them. Write it down and use it as fuel. You’ve been there already. You can do this!

The choice really is yours. You can choose to carry around the weight of disappointment and the knowing that you gave up. If you do, chances are you’ll start yet another resolution next year and repeat the process of stopping before mission accomplished. And this can happen year after year after year. Or you can choose to start again right now, knowing that even though you faltered a step or two, you did not fail because you have the courage and resourcefulness to get back on track whenever the moment is right for you.

No date on a calendar can dictate such powerful self-awareness. Working at it, not just wishing for it will get you there. Do this and you will accomplish what only eight percent of Americans accomplish — seeing your resolution through to the end. Now that is a group that you should want to be a part of!