I am just freshly back from a rejuvenating vacation where I spent time focusing on digging deep and determining what goals I want for myself and my business in the coming year. With school aged children, the New Year starts fresh each fall and with school beginning again in just one short week, I have made a list of what I'd like to accomplish.

With the popularity of The Secret, I am amazed by how many books that came before, referring to the same concept of identifying your goals - the dream life - and then putting it out into the universe; in writing, on a visual dream board, just speaking it out loud.

Last month I spent time putting together my vision board and have added to it many times and this past week I read a book called Write it Down, Make it Happen by Henriette Anne Klauser. Each chapter speaks to a piece of the journey towards making your dreams a reality and ends with an assignment.

I carefully read each chapter and completed the assignments do that my goals are clearly defined. And now as I begin a new book - a daily affirmation for financial stress reduction called The Wealthy Spirit by Chellie Campbell, again the author talks about clearly defining the goals and bringing them from a wish list to a task list.

With so many books, lectures, workshops focused on identifying our goals, I wonder how many of us do more than just write down the goal in a single sentence on a piece of paper we never refer to again.

What makes a goal different from a New Year's resolution that is forgotten by the second week of January? What makes us so sure that this time we'll be more dedicated to following through?

I'm known for having the attention span of a gnat and so this time the thing I did differently was work to complete each assigned task in the Make it Happen book. Two exercises stand out has having the most impact on my thinking:

1. My grateful list. The task was to write down things you were thankful for; talents, people, possessions - whatever your list might contain. But rather than just say I was thankful for my friends - I listed each one and then put a specific reason I was thankful. It truly made me realize just how rich I am and so even if I don't complete every step of every goal I've identified - I am starting off a winner. It is a beautiful place to start.

2. The second task that had a strong impact was to write a description of what my life would be like WITHOUT achieving my dream. So often the books tell us to imagine every detail of our life as if we already had the fancy car, big house, and six figure income. But this assignment required that I think through what my life would be like if I didn't get my wish. If my dream didn't come true.
"Be willing to let go of what you want. In the Hindu Scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna that it is the surrender of the attachment to results that brings serenity."

Have you written down your goals? When was the last time you look at the list? Have you done anything to move toward your desires? Are you willing to let them go?

Deborah Chaddock Brown
Writer