Finally here, 2008 will eventually end just as quickly as it began.
New Year’s, always bringing optimism in abundance to the hearts of so
many, can spark us to set out to lose weight, get fit, better our
career, quit smoking or any number of other resolutions which, when
followed to fruition, will lead to a better life.

Starting up a new year setting goals and writing them down has always
been a characteristic of the most energetic entrepreneurs. A popular
story is told of Harvard’s Class of 1979 where researchers surveyed
the students and found 84 percent of the class did not set goals, 13
percent set goals without writing them down, and three percent both
set goals and wrote them down. The story goes that the 13 percent who
set goals without writing them down earned double the income of the 84
percent who had no goals, and that the three percent who both set and
wrote down goals earned 10 times more than the other
97 percent.

The moral of the story: write down goals! It seems obvious that if we
believe making progress is easier when it can be timed, checked, and
measured, then we should also believe in writing down our goals. And
yet, so many people don’t set aside the five minutes it would take to
sit down and write their goals!

In 1992, when I attended my first Anthony Robbins seminar, I initially
heard of that study of Harvard students. Mr. Robbins spoke about it
with such confidence and conviction that hearing it further validated
my belief that I needed to do a better job of visiting and revisiting
my written goals. Fifteen years later, I cannot begin to tell you how
much tremendous inspiration and resolve towards accomplishing my goals
I have obtained by seeing them in picture form and in writing. When I
turn to my journal and look at my goals over the years I find so many
of them I have accomplished; so many of my high-achieving friends
would testify of having the same experience!

So as we turn the page on 2007 and open the calendar to 2008, let us
all take some quality time to ponder and contemplate what we want to
accomplish in 2008. After writing down our goals and ambitions, let’s
then get after it with both a burning desire and a timetable on when
we want to achieve those things. That way, our focus will remain
steadfast and resolute on the actions and processes we must undertake
each and every day to get us closer to our desired result, our
all-important end-game, even our goals.