So December 2011 is almost over.  Journalists, bloggers, writers and the like are all a twitter with New Year’s Resolution ideas and tips.  Are you experiencing déjà vu yet?

Most people, even if they don’t go overboard with the whole “new beginning thing” feel some sense of closure on December 31, accompanied by varying degrees of excited anticipation about what possibilities might lay ahead.

At the very least, the holiday season is definitely winding down and we’re thinking about getting back to business – whatever your business is. In my business, January is Get Organized Month!  So here we are, full circle making resolutions and goals; grand goals to get ourselves, our lives and our homes more organized.

But maybe the whole idea of a grand resolution, turning a new leaf – discarding dull habits to replace them with shiny new ones – is somewhat lacking without a sound logical reason behind it.

I want to share with you what I have learned, and hopefully it will make your life a little easier!

When you make a resolution, or decide on a new goal, it helps if you truly understand and believe in the reason why you are doing it.  It also helps if you actually think about and write down the small achievable steps that will move you towards accomplishing your goals.

Asking yourself a couple of simple questions will give you a better opportunity to stick to your resolutions and achieve the goals you set.

• What do you value most highly in your life? Such as health, career, family, spirituality.
• Are you using your strengths to your best advantage? Knowing your weaknesses and strengths is paramount.

Last but not least, instead of just looking at the previous year’s accomplishments and shortfalls try taking a look at the last 5 or 10 years.  Also according to Karl A. Pillemer, Ph.D., a professor of human development at Cornell University and professor of gerontology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College,  if you are trying to come to a significant career or life decision, you might take the time to talk to some of the elders in your life about what influenced decision making in their life.

I promise these steps alone will give you a whole new perspective on how you approach your New Year’s Resolutions and Goals.