Have You Planned Your New Year's Evolution?

"A goal is a dream with a deadline" - Napoleon Hill

On New Year's Eve, 2005, I was determined to change my career and my life.

I knew it would take a radical change, a fundamental turn in the way of thinking about and visualizing my future. A complete paradigm shift was on my radar.

No fantastical daydreaming here. I was ready!

Read on and discover how I began that New Year's Eve to prepare and pull the trigger to leave corporate America and begin my entrepreneurial dream of becoming an inspirational life coach, best selling published author and certified yoga instructor.

Successful New Year's Evolutions are achieved when you are confident you can make a behavioral change and are willing to commit to making that change.

One of the best ways I've found to keep your resolutions is through SMART goals:

S = Specific

M = Measurable

A = Attainable

R = Realistic

T = Timely

Write down your Top 3-5 dreams/plans and run them through the SMART goals check list.

1. Make sure that each goal is specific. Too many goals fall apart because they are too vague.
2. Each resolution should be measurable. If you want to earn more money or lose weight, you should create benchmarks to measure your success.
3. Identify goals that are most important to you. The goal should be attainable with a healthy stretch to keep you committed.
4. Are your resolutions realistic? Big dreams are key to living an amazing life. Most people who reach their dreams, set realistic benchmarks along the way.
5. Creating a critical path timeline is a key ingredient to your achievement.

Some additional tips include:

* Being committed to make the change

* Preparing for setbacks

* Keeping track of your progress

Setting yourself up for failure looks like this:

* Making resolutions at the last minute.

* Making your resolutions based on what's driving you mad.

* Making absolute statements like saying, "I will never eat chocolate again."

Your resolution is nothing more than a part of healthy human evolution.

Remember to give yourself credit for small successes and allow yourself to start over if you have a momentary lapse of reason.

To your success in the New Year!

Unconventional, spirited and delightfully curious, Shann Vander Leek is a fresh new voice in the arena of mindfulness and extreme self care. She is the founder of True Balance Life Coaching, LLC. and a Coach Training Alliance Certified Coach and Yoga Instructor. Shann inspires creatives and women in transition to create balance in their lives through personal coaching, yoga and creative expression. She is the author of the e-book Getting Your Groove Back - A Luscious Living Guide and Co-author of a new series of team authored books for women titled, Wake Up Women BE Happy, Healthy & Wealthy. Shann's personal style and direct approach have guided many in overcoming personal and professional challenges. Her background in broadcast television advertising sales,marketing and client development along with leading a talented sales force for 11 years prepared her for the business of professional coaching.

Telephone and email consultations make Shann accessible to clients all over the world. Visit http://www.truebalancelifecoaching.com to sign up for Getting Your Groove Back - A complimentary Life Balance e-course.