Resolve and Resolutions

It's already starting.  It's the end of the first full work week of the new year, and the invitations are rolling in.  While I know (and admire) a handful of go-getters who barreled through December with full-tilt productivity, many of us, myself included, may have taken a bit of a winter's nap last month, and now we're feeling inspired (or pressured, or both) to get moving.

And this is the precise moment when that resolution, goal, or strategy is at its greatest risk of becoming buried under all that motion.  Focus is critical right now, lest we let activity become a substitute for results.

It only takes a moment to step back from one of those invitations and check it for relevance.  Is that networking event, appointment, task, project, or diversion consistent with the mission you have set for yourself this year?  How, exactly, does it get you closer to your goals?  If it doesn't, how would that time be better invested?

Resolve is a noun as well as a verb.  If you have resolved (verb) to achieve a WAY-SMART goal this year (and I hope you have), then you need to gather your resolve (noun) to stay on track toward the results you want.  To borrow from another common resolution, staying on track toward a weight-loss goal means saying no to "empty calories" that don't fit your food plan.  Staying on track with your goals means saying no to the "empty activities" that don't fit your action plan.

If you've set an ambitious goal, achieving it is going to take time.  Start now, stay focused, and soon you will be ready to bask in the glow of your success!