Okay – so we’ve all been around this block a few times, by now. We’ve had a couple of years to do the resolution thing, and by now we all know what doesn’t work – especially since about 88 percent of resolutions fail. If you want to read about how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, and so forth), google it. It’s good advice, but we’ve certainly all heard it before, and even SMARTly set resolutions still fail. We’ve gotta go deeper, ladies, and rethink this whole resolution-setting thing in order to get the most mileage possible out of the year-end clean slate and motivational recharge.

Knowing what doesn’t work is easy. The tougher task is to set resolutions that we will execute. So we started at the very beginning: by renaming them from resolutions to deliverables. Click here to see why, but the long and the short of it is that the connotation of the very word resolutions indicates something so challenging or against your natural inclinations that you must “resolve” yourself to do it. By contrast, the concept of ‘deliverables’ indicates more of a task that you will execute as a matter of course – just like all the other tasks you get done every single day. {I also like ‘deliverable’ for the image of delivering yourself a gift every time to tick one of your tasks off the list!}

Here are the 10 items I have found to be critical in setting New Year’s deliverables that are highly likely to actually get done:

1. Screw realistic. Check it out – dreams, visions, plans – this stuff is free. And if you don’t go there mentally, you’ll certainly never get there in real life. So you might as well think big. Lots of things that fabulous women have achieved aren’t realistic. Is Oprah’s business realistic? Martha’s? Even Rachael’s or any of the 100 or so American women who have 100 million dollar-plus businesses? Nope. Not realistic. Someone else’s realistic might be your mediocre. Don’t let their mental limitations limit you. Goals are never unrealistic, although time frames can be – be compassionate with your expectancies of how fast you can dominate the world in business, etc. {Note to self – take own advice, here. Moving on.}

2. Be the architect of your success. In Nudge, the authors’ entire thesis is that we can design choice architecture for all sorts of decision-making contexts to make it more likely that the decision-maker will make an optimal decision.

If this sounds ‘out there’ to you, think of the guy who first came up with the brilliant idea to put the candy right at an 8-year-old’s eye level at the grocery store checkout counter. That, my friends, is strategic choice architecture.

There’s no reason you can’t do this for yourself, with your 2010 deliverables. You know yourself, and we can draw on that knowledge plus some wisdom about human/smart woman psychology to set up a structure for your deliverables that is likely to work for you:

* Write them down.
* Calendar the time you need to work on them.
* Set yourself deadlines for various tasks, then back into monthly and weekly (even daily) timelines and mini-deliverables for accomplishing them. Break it down.
* Spread them out throughout the year – for the majority of people, trying to make a large number of changes at once simply won’t work. {But you know yourself – I for one do better with wholesale massive changes at once. It’s almost like just deciding who I’m going to be on certain issues and just letting multiple changes flow from that identity.}
* Set up an accountability method, in advance. Get a coach. Pick an accountability partner (someone at least as motivated as you). Calendar check-ins at various points on your timeline. Set up rewards if you achieve certain benchmarks by certain dates.
* Set up soothing alternatives/distractions in advance. Spending, debting, checking out (mentally) during money conversations – these behaviors can be soothing or help us avoid discomfort. It’s tough to just get rid of a pattern – it’s much easier to replace it with another pattern. To avoid resorting to them in tense situations, set up your alternative behaviors in advance.

3. No ‘should’s. Someone else says you “should” do thus and so in 2010? Fabulous! Politely thank them for their opinion, but unless it’s also something you both think you should do and want passionately to do, do not put it on your list.

4. Maximize tasks and minimize behavior/habit change targets. Even the most super of superwomen only has so much willpower or whatever you want to call the mojo it requires to change ingrained habits and behavior patterns. Spread it too thin, and you’ll change nothing. Weight your deliverables list heavier with tasks, and pick a choice few ‘bigger’ habits you want to trade out for new prosperity and wellness practices.

5. Taste your ‘after.’ Only set deliverables that you can vividly picture, imagine, taste/touch/smell the way your new-and-improved life and experiences will be after you have delivered the deliverable to yourself. You’ll need this level of passion and imagery to carry you all the way through those tasks you don’t really look forward to doing, or through the discomfort of changing behaviors, even those you are really ready to release. Remember, most major endeavors aren’t worth the effort or the precious moments of breath of your life unless you can muster up wholehearted enthusiasm for doing them.

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6. Put Divine Order to work for you. – Prosperity cannot flourish where there is chaos & confusion. Set deliverables around creating order, clarity and efficient management of your personal finances. Jesus made the disciples count the members of the crowd before he multiplied the loaves and fishes. I’m just saying – order is Divine. I’m also still working on this one! If you’re a paper person, create a small file for your prosperity area. If you’re a computer person, have a desktop file or file in Google Docs (which has a spreadsheet function). Either way, take the free teleclass at Conscious Bookkeeping – my buddy Bari over there will have you really understanding how orderly (and preferably digital) books are the link between your heavenly aspirations and manifesting them on earth. Does that sound crazy – maybe, but she’s really convincing. Check it out.

7. Ritualize your deliverables and make ‘em yummy. Light candles, buy cute office supplies (who among you doesn’t love good stationery?!), build in yummy treats (my friend Bari over at Conscious Bookkeeping uses organic dark chocolate – mmmm) and do other things to create positive associations with reconciling your checking account or setting your bills up for Autopay, etc. Make new rituals – rethink dreaded tasks as yummy opportunities for creating clarity.

8. Watch your words. Refuse to allow your tongue voice doubts – even if you have them. That can start you down the path of spinning, and be your undoing. Instead, affirm your deliverables and transformations for 2010, speaking about them as though they are already done. This is really critical – speak power over your situation. Don’t be self-deprecating, sarcastically funny girl this time, around these things. In your verbal universe, allow no other possibility than that your deliverables are delivered.

9. Manage your energy. Plan your time, sure. But also be smart wise about how you manage your energy. Get the sleep you need. Fuel your energetic body with whole, real, nourishing foods. Work out and/or practice yoga – whatever works for you. And let the energy drainers, haters and saboteurs ‘opt-out’ of your experience. Release the relationships that exhaust you or otherwise make it tougher for you to be all that you can be. Yes, I just quoted the Army slogan. Couldn’t help it – it is a good slogan.

10. If you get stuck,{symptoms: you fall asleep every time you start working on your stuff, you can’t seem to find the time to sit down and write your deliverables up, or your deliverables list ends up being 15 items you’ve been trying to get done for 15 years) visit the REThink Real Estate Guide to Getting Unstuck.