New Year's Resolutions or Goals?

New Year’s Resolutions or Goals?

I’ve never given much thought to the difference between a New Year’s Resolution and a Goal. I heard on the television news that they were taking a poll asking three questions (this was on January 3^rd) about New Year’s Resolutions: Which of these do you anticipate you will do

            1. Breaking the resolution right away

            2. Keeping the resolution for a week

            3. Keeping the resolution for several months

            4. Keeping the resolution all year

In the results taken from viewers, 39% felt they could go through the year; another 29% figured they might make it for several months.

Where do you fall in the poll? Is it time to recommit?

In order to learn a little more about the difference between a resolution and a goal I went to The New World Dictionary to give me some hints. The following are definitions found there.

RESOLUTION: 1) the act or process of resolving something or breaking it up into its constituent parts or elements  2) a resolving, determining; deciding.

RESOLVE: 1) to break up into separate, constituent elements or parts; analyze 2) to change or transform 3) to explain or make clear

GOAL: an object or end that one strives to attain; aim.

Here is what I conclude: to resolve or determine to do something is the motivating desire to change or transform oneself. The goal is the end object of a plan of action, determined by breaking up the process into constituent parts.  A goal must have a definable, measurable result and is usually tied to an end date. Often, short term goals (with date to be achieved by) help one to meet a long term goal.

QUOTE: In the January 2012 Ensign “Recognizing God’s Hand in our Daily Blesings,” by Elder D. Todd Christofferson,  we find a quote by President N. Eldon Tanner, First Counselor in the First Presidency, who said,

 “As we reflect on the value of resolving to do better, let us determine to discipline oursleves to carefully select the resolutions we make, to consider the purpose for making them, and finally to make commitments for keeping them and not letting any obstacle stop us. Let us remind ourselves at the beginning of each day that we can keep a resolution just for that day.”

 –N. Eldon Tanner, “Today I Will….,” Liahona Mar. 2003, 27-28; “Just for Today,”

 New Era, Jan. 1975, 5.

A Resolution is Often Broken Because it was Just an Intention

An Intention Becomes a Resolution When it is Written Down!

Remember to consider why you are making a resolution and carefully identify your motivating factor. Next, set a goal to reach or implement your resolution.  Then commit to keep that resolution DAY by  DAY until you have reached your GOAL.

I use my Patriarchal Blessing to set my personal goals for the year. After prayerfully reading it once a day over a period of time in December, I notice that certain words or phrases pop out at me. I use these for the basis of some personal scripture study. I discover ideas for my New Year’s goals seem to present themselves to me under inspiration. We all know what we ought to be doing. It doesn’t take a magician to tell us these things. I then write down my goals with several dates for meeting smaller steps towards a major goal. Keeping these at the front of my journal helps to keep me on track. I seldom try to resolve to do more than five different things at a time. Too many goals make me just want to give up.

At the six month mark around the beginning of summer, I review how I am doing, and determine whether I need to make what I call “Course Corrections.”

Over the years, I have accomplished much towards becoming the kind of person I believe Heavenly Father wants me to be. Using my own patriarchal blessing helps me to eliminate distracting topics in life that lure me away from my life mission as stated therein.

Good Luck in your Goal Setting for 2012! Let me know how you are doing.