Goals vs. Resolutions
I don't do new-year resolutions anymore. I use to try, like most people, to set a series of things I wouldn't do for the next year. And like most people, I would fail to make my resolutions stick through the end of January.
I never fully understood why it was so hard to accomplish my resolutions. After a few years of failing, I realized, it was because resolutions focused on giving up or quitting a negative activity. They were not focused on encouraging me to change something.
For the last five years I focus on setting positive goals for my year. Things that are not focused on the negative things I do, but take a positive outlook on what I can do over the year.
It's a small mindset change, but it has helped me achieve much more. It's amazing how a simple mind-shift can empower you.