"New Years Resolutions", okay I confess I've made a few in my lifetime too. And, it always seems I can't remember them on January 5th!

What if there was a way to get you on right path on January 1, and keep you there year after year? Sounds too good to be true, right? Well it's not. I know you've heard this before, but here it goes again. We all need to have written goals.

A written goal is not just an idea in your head. It's not a dream or a wish. That's not kind of goal we're talking about. Take hopes and good intentions out of your mind, and analyze what you can realistically accomplish. How much hard work and determination are you willing to expend?

Working hard and setting goals applies to you, no matter what your situation. If you are a parent that needs to begin a savings plan for your child's college education, you need goals! If you are interested in buying your first home, or maybe upgrading from home you have, you need goals! If you're just getting starting, or are an online pro in marketing a product on internet, you need goals! Goal setting is a must to get you on right path! Think of your goals as your road map!

I bet you can't tell me characteristics of what a goal should be. Let's take a look:

1. It should be USEFUL. Think of you goal as a bridge, a way to get from where you are, to where you want to be.

GOT THOSE EMPTY NEST BLUES?

The last of kids have all left home and now you’re wondering, “What do I do now”?

Sometimes it takes a while to come to realization that you are now on your own. You’ve been helping to get them raised and preparing them to go out into world on their own and suddenly that time has come and gone (and so are they!). You look around only to wonder, what now?

The time seemed so far off, that you just weren’t prepared when it finally arrived.

So, now it’s time to start thinking about all those things you told yourself you would do, “If only I had time, I’d love to …….”

When you stop to think about it, you’ve really come to a good time in your life. The kids are grown, have lives of their own, you’re now free to do all “Those things you kept telling yourself you’d do.” Thing is; now you have to remember just what they were!

Well, this little article is just to get you to thinking!

It’s never to late to start something new either. I had an Aunt that started painting when she was in her 50’s. Wasn’t even aware that she could paint that well!

There’s always school. Yes, school. There are all kinds of courses you could take on a lot of different subjects. Think of any that might be of interest to you? Maybe there’s a degree of some sort that you’d like to go for? I’ve heard of some who went for their nursing degree in their late 30’s early 40’s!

Have any hobbies that you put aside because you didn’t have enough time to really devote to them? If not, then start some new ones! Just think of some new things that you would like to learn how to do, then go sign up for some classes! Might even make some new friends in process.

There’s also volunteer work. Places like hospitals, nursing homes Salvation Army. They are always looking for someone to help out. Lots of other similar places too. Can be a really rewarding feeling knowing that you are really needed.