(Originally published on Dec 2009.)

“We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” – Edith Lovejoy Pierce

A brand new year is coming, festive songs are in the air and everyone is gearing up for the new year ahead! I’m really psyched up for the upcoming year because there are so many exciting things I have planned for next year.

How about you? How do you feel about the new year? How do you want it to be? What kind of experiences do you want to create? What memories do you want to build? What impact do you want to have for yourself and others?

With every upcoming year, I’m always sure it will supersede all previous years to become the best year ever. One reason is because I set goals – Goals which I know will improve the quality and fulfillment of my life. I’m a huge fan of goal setting. The best way to determine how your next year to be is to set goals AND act on them. As Zig Ziglar said, “You need a plan to build a house. To build a life, it is even more important to have a plan or goal.”

For this same reason, I recommend you to think about what you want for yourself in the year 2011 and set them as goals. Here is a list to kickstart your thinking process. Of course, goal setting isn’t restricted to just the start of the year – you can refer to it anytime of the year. There’s never a ‘best’ time to set goals – it’s all the time!

(Check out the Bucket List article (101 things to do before you die) for more ideas!)

1. Stop procrastinating on your goals
2. Spend more time with your family
3. Widen your social circle – Meet new friends!
4. Become more organized
5. Exercise more and keep fit
6. Lose weight: Achieve your ideal weight
7. Eat more healthily
8. Wake up early every day
9. Be on time
10. Express gratitude to people who have made a difference in your life
11. Do volunteer work
12. Do more kind deeds
13. Further your education
14. Learn a new language
15. Cultivate at least one new skill that will enable you to perform even better at work (presentation skills, public speaking, effective writing, etc)
16. Be emotionally generous
17. Drop caffeine
18. Reconnect with old friends
19. Make at least 5 positive, like-minded friends and foster strong relationships with them
20. Take your family out on a vacation
21. Revamp your room into your personal, inspirational haven
22. Run a marathon
23. Don’t bad mouth other people
24. Stop complaining
25. Be a more positive person
26. Be your real self
27. Read more books
28. Read one meaningful self-help article a day
29. Visit the holiday destination of your dreams
30. Deliver your best performance at work ever
31. Double your business revenue (for business owners)
32. Get a career switch to a better career
33. Or better still, pursue a career of your true passion
34. Earn a million dollars
35. Earn a billion dollars (for those who have achieved #34)
36. Find your soulmate
37. Move out and get your own apartment
38. Get out of debt (if you are in debt)
39. Save more money
40. Help other people achieve their dreams
41. Get rid of clutter
42. Take up a class in something of your interest (dancing, singing, roller blading, ice skating, swimming, photography, web design, rock climbing, piano, guitar, yoga, pilates, etc)
43. Drink more water
44. Reduce your alcohol intake or quit drinking altogether (for people who drink)
45. Quit smoking (for smokers)
46. Learn to see the positive side of everything
47. Turn every challenge into an opportunity
48. Let go of any past baggage
49. Meditate daily
50. Go on a Vipassana Meditation Retreat
51. Write a book
52. Visit a new place you have never been to
53. Stop beating yourself up when bad things happen
54. Love yourself more
55. Start your life handbook and use it document everything it takes to live your best life
56. Limit your mass media exposure – Stop watching television or reading the papers (remove negative stimuli from your environment)
57. Take time out to rest and rejuvenate every week
58. Live every moment to the fullest!

Note: Success in resolutions is almost always in line with cultivating habits. Be sure to read how to successfully cultivate a habit in 21 days, an all-time readers’ favorite article.

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