Welcome 2012! Did you enter the New Year with hopes and dreams about accomplishing goals you didn't realize last year? Do you know what you want to accomplish in 2012? Do you have the knowledge and skills necesarry to do so? Have you written down your goals? What is your history? Will you accomplish your goals or will you lose steam somewhere around the time the Super Bowl is broadcast?

If losing steam is your issue, then you may want to take a look at your integrity with yourself. I find many trustworthy, honest people who would never even consider breaking a promise to a friend, family member or collegue But when it comes to honoring the agreements they make with themselves, it seems much easier to  break those commitments.

Why do you think that is? Why is it that we honor our commitments to others more than we do to ourselves? It seems people have a problem holding themselves accountable all by themselves. Accountability increases when a person admits their goals to another person. Making a public declaration increases the likelihood we'll honor our commitments to ourselves. What would it take to prioritize ourselves and honor our commitments to self first?

1. We would need to believe we are worth it.
2. We'd have to set realistic and flexible goals.
3. We'd have to take consistent action toward those goals everyday.
4. We'd have to be willing to adjust our course as needed while avoiding the tendency to beat up ourselves.
5. And finally, we have to celebrate our successes and make a space to appreciate all we have and have accomplished.

I'll expand on each of these points in future posts. If you want an added layer of accountability, then post your top three goals for 2012 here. It's a public forum and you will feel an added pressure to follow through on what you said you'd do. What are your top three goals for 2012?