Every new year brings with it a resurgence of energy and new hope for the lost and forgotten dreams of the previous year. We recommit to working out, spending more time with family, working toward a promotion, starting a new business venture, reading more, eating clean, giving more, buying less, being present, the list goes on and on. On NYE we go around the circle with friends and family and share the resolution we feel most confident we can pull off, we toast to a new beginning and we celebrate the year we've just completed.

Suffice it to say, as we count down to our next and newest year, we are often counting down to yet another year of uncompleted or forgotten goals. And as Debby-downer as it sounds, the more years we don't achieve the goals we've set, the less apt we are to dream for a different outcome in the following years.

If this sounds like you, if you are dreaming of a year that you actually work towards your life's dreams, have hope for this new year- we have a solution and scientifically-proven method to achieving the goals you set for yourself this year!

1. Reflect & Dream

Goals are something to take seriously. Nobody should willy-nilly commit to something. Set aside creative and uninterrupted time to reflect on your life, determine what's working (or what's not working), and dream up solutions to make the most of who you are and what you have to give; design the life you want to live.

2. Write

If you are more of a hands-on thinker, you might have already started writing during step one. Writing your goals down on paper is the crucial first step to achieving them. As depicted in Dr. Gail Matthews psychological study on strategies for achieving goals, in which she observed the levels of achievement between 149 participants, "Those who wrote their goals accomplished significantly more than those who did not write their goals."

It's also very important to be specific while writing goals, as well as setting benchmarks and achievable timelines for achieving those goals. "Read more" or "Start my own blog" aren't necessarily well-written or fully considered goals. However, "Read a new book from the NYT Bestseller List every week" or "Purchase and design a website for my blog by February" are not only already way more specific, but also quite a bit more achievable and less overwhelming to accomplish than overly-generic resolutions.

3. Share

If writing your goals down is the first crucial step to achieving them, sharing them with a friend, spouse, coworker or family member is the second. You are far more likely to stick to a commitment under the encouragement and accountability of a second party than you are if you keep your goals to yourself. 

The action of speaking your goals is also a mentally freeing exercise- hearing your goals said out loud will help you feel more confident that they are achievable and seeing your goals being received and encouraged by someone other than yourself is a huge motivator and investment in much-needed reassurance for those sure-to-come future moments of self doubt. 

Purchase with Purpose

The perfect companion to goal-writing and processing is our newest leather "Goals" journal. Designed to go through life with you, carry your deepest hopes and dreams, this thoughtful purchase is a wonderful first step to invest in your future achievements.

It's our honor to come alongside you as you dream, set goals and achieve immeasurably more than you could ever hope for. Happy journaling and Happy New Year!

Related: FOTO, Small Business, Holiday, Tips