Pamela Kleibrink Thompson

My family recently watched Freaky Friday, a movie about a mom and daughter who trade lives. My husband asked my daughter what she would write for my January column, which is often about goals, and she wrote this acrostic:

Get a plan
Organize
Assign priorities
Let's Go!

My daughter knows that to achieve any goal, you need to get a plan. If you have specific goals for the year, you'll need a plan for how to achieve them. When you look back at 2006, didn't it pass quickly? The year 2007 will go by just as quickly -- whether you have a plan or not.

To get a plan, decide what is important to you. Don't concern yourself with what others may think or what they value. It's your time and your life. Know what you want. If you have been putting off doing something important to you, make a pledge to do it now. Goals can be personal, enriching you in body or spirit; or professional, enriching you in monetary ways.

All goals require dedication to transform them into reality. That is why you must choose goals that are important to you. Because, without passion and desire, you'll have little reason to put in the work necessary to achieve your goals. Goals require time, effort and commitment. You will be giving something else up whenever you work on a goal, so make sure your goal is important to you.

Review your goals from last year and congratulate yourself on what you accomplished and revel in your achievements. Now examine what you didn't get done. Ask yourself why you haven't been able to achieve those goals. If they are still important to you, make a list of your obstacles and brainstorm ways to overcome them.

Once you have a plan, you need to get organized. Write down your goals and post them somewhere you'll see them every day. Don't tuck them away in a drawer or file folder.

Determine what you need to accomplish your goals. Perhaps you'll need to collect tools or equipment or acquire new skills or knowledge. Once you know what you need to accomplish your goals, brainstorm ways to get it. Perhaps you have a friend who can help. If you are an artist and need a website, perhaps you can trade artwork for his or her web skills.

Often we set goals that are too big, too distant and difficult to reach and because they seem unattainable we are discouraged from working toward them. But breaking a large goal down into smaller achievable goals will help you attain the big goal.

My friend, Nick Fedak, has a long-term goal of having his photographic work accepted to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Nick works on his goal constantly, by getting his work into smaller shows and museums all over the country. Each time his work is exhibited, he builds his reputation, while keeping his long-term goal in sight. He is in frequent contact with gallery owners and museum curators all over the country. He sends them notes on their birthdays and invitations to his show openings. As he builds his network, he also regularly communicates with the Museum of Modern Art to keep them informed of the progress in his career. Each time he is accepted into a show, he takes a step closer to his big goal -- getting his work shown in the Museum of Modern Art.

In our house, there is a standing joke: "D.E.I." which stands for Do Everything Immediately. Of course, you can't do everything immediately. You must make choices. Because there are only 168 hours in a week and you can't do everything immediately, you have to assign priorities. Your daily to-do list should include tasks that contribute to your long-term goals. Review your goals at least once a week to make sure you stay on track and to keep your priorities current. What's important to you in January might not be important in March or April.