New Year's Resolutions

There are no limits.

Have you ever written New Year's Resolutions? Goal setting is one of the best ways to improve yourself. In order to lead others, you must learn how to lead yourself. (See my post on Self-leadership)

I have a different philosophy on goal setting. It derives from Michael Phelps' book, "No Limits: The Will to Succeed". My philosophy is this: Don't set your goals low enough so you won't be disappointed if you fail, set them high so you can celebrate when you reach them. At my school they taught the the SMART goal setting strategy. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. I disagree with this. I say, dream big. By setting "attainable" and "realistic" goals, you are only cheating yourself of being truly successful. Yeah, they should be specific and measurable and blah, blah, blah. DREAM BIG. Don't settle for the easy goals.

Here is an except from Michael Phelps' book, "No Limits: The Will to Succeed" to inspire you:

"So many people along the way, whatever it is you aspire to do, will tell you it can't be done. But all it takes is imagination. You dream. You plan. You reach. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, with belief, with confidence and trust in yourself and those around you, there are no limits. Perseverance, determination, commitment, and courage- those things are real. The desire for redemption drives you. And the will to succeed- it's everything."

Set some goals for 2013 in order to better yourself at whatever. Whether it is sports, school, or life in general, plan to achieve. Don't set them too low, dream BIG. Have a happy New Year!