Without an effective management system, which keeps your choices in alignment with your goals, your comfort zones and habits of thought will take over

That is why a personal management system is vital in achievement.

Chances are if you are like many Americans, you have started a diet or exercise program filled with good intentions, and then fallen off the wagon a few weeks later. Every year, fitness centers across the US are overwhelmed by new registrations in January from people who genuinely want to become physically fit. They have good intentions that are backed by New Year's resolutions, but by March, most of these new registrations have been cancelled.

Why are good intentions not enough to generate change?

Good intentions must be supported by effective choices, and that is where most people go astray. Achievement happens moment by moment, one day at a time! Positive change is the key to achievement, and your effective daily choices are the stepping stones. Many people have difficulty translating their good intentions into goal-directed, daily choices and actions.

Without an effective personal management system to succeed, which keeps your choices in alignment with your goals, your comfort zones and habits of thought will take over. That is why a personal management system is vital in achievement. You cannot become who you have never been by doing what you have always done. Read that sentence again to really let it sink in. In order to achieve, you need a proven system in your arsenal that will help you fight your natural instincts and push past your comfort zone.

The Next Level Achievement System® is an effective personal management system that I have used for over 20 years to help leaders achieve. The one and only purpose for this Next-Level Achievement System® is to help you bypass your natural, human instincts. Remember: Your human instincts are only interested in your comfort and safety, and their #1 goal is to keep you where you are.

There are four elements of the Next-Level Achievement System® to succeed. Each element is vital to the overall effectiveness of the system:

1. Creating a vision statement

Your vision statement should be a description of your life 5 to 10 years in the future as if you are already there. A part of that vision is a statement of your life's mission/ purpose. It will be the foundation for all of your future planning and will be remembered monthly in your personal management system.

2. Setting annual goals

At the beginning of each new year, set 3 to 5 annual goals that will move you closer to your vision. These goals will be, and should always be, determined by and based upon your vision. From these 3 to 5 goals, you will create action steps that outline what you need to do to accomplish these goals.

3. Implementing monthly plans

The action steps from your annual goals should filter down to your monthly plans. You will need a month-at-a-glance calendar for this. All target dates from the action steps of your annual goals, along with all scheduled events, should be entered into your monthly calendar.

4. Following through with daily actions

Each day of your monthly plan should transfer to your daily actions, one day at a time. These daily plans will include imperative/important things to do, contacts and follow-ups, and a time schedule of your day. The key to daily planning is to always plan tomorrow before tomorrow begins.

It seems simple, but simplicity is the key to a successful system of achievement for any leader because a simple system can be duplicated by others. Group energy is generated from the use of a common system within any group, large or small. Then, from a consistent system of achievement, a common language and a synergy of teamwork is spawned.

You have the desire. You have the skill. The Next Level Achievement System will give you the "how-to" every step of the way. Make this the year that you push past your self-imposed limitations and really make a commitment to achieve!

About the Author

Inspiring genuine growth and achievement in leaders, David Byrd has 30 years of experience working with top business executives and their organizations. He is a master of effective leadership and works closely with leaders worldwide to maximize their leadership potential. For more information about The Next-Level Achievement System® or David's book, Achievement - A Proven System For Next Level Growth, visit http://www.authorsup.com/David-Byrd.