It's a New Year and we all have made lots of New Year’s resolutions. We are still fresh and suntanned and the world feels like it is just waiting for us to get going. Even if you have not sat down to do them consciously, subconsciously you have started thinking that you want to improve or do better in the some areas of your life.

However, come mid-year, you realise that very little has changed since January. How did this happen? According to Dr Phil McGraw, our biggest failure is that we do not translate our “dreams, fantasies and plans” into action. It is easy to do resolutions and plans, but it is less easy to make them happen.

Dr Phil says that you have to make careful plans and decisions and then “pull the trigger” (action) or nothing is going to happen.

If we make our plans in a slap-dash, and purposeless way, then life will reward us with results that fit that description. However, if you make your plans in a structured, motivated, purposeful manner, you will get results that fit this description. No one cares about your good intentions. Only action and results get you, others and life to sit up in attention.

Are you going to execute your New Year’s resolutions with purpose, direction and urgency? Will you be bulls-eying towards your goals? Are you willing to pull the trigger?

The rest of this year will go by, whether you are doing something to improve your life or not. Is now the real opportunity to get going on your action or should you wait till 2011. It’s your choice.

How to put your plan into action:

- Write it down
- Figure out an action plan
- Remind yourself daily
- Track your progress
- Reward yourself for progress
- Tell others

Good luck!