Dear Sigmund Psychie,

I have these fantastic ideas and goals at the beginning of the year but then it all falls apart and nothing gets accomplished. Can you help me so that I follow through and not get frustrated? It's already the second week of the year, is it too late for me?

- B. Procrastinator in San Francisco

Dear Procrastinator,

Great timing, great question! The reality is if the goals you set truly don't have value to you, they won't get done. Boom! So what's value? Value is what is meaningful to you. What has value to you: respect, integrity, doing a good job?

When you set up a series of goals at the workplace, your work values are important because you want to increase trust with the people that you work with, increase your integrity as a person who gets things done, and you want simply to do good work and make more money.

The CEO of a design company values working collaboratively with people. She recently had a good paying client who had few collaborative skills. Should she continue to work for the money even though the client was driving her crazy? She prioritized her values, and though making money was high on her list, working together was higher. Result: she "fired" her client and is much happier.

If your goals are really meaningful to you and have value, you'll have a better chance of achieving them.

Once you have a set of goals and values, you must breakdown your goals into tasks and set deadlines for the accomplishment of each of those tasks. Because I want you to reach all your goals in the New Year, download my handy guidebook to help organize and achieve your dreams.

Reach your goals in 2006 by downloading a complimentary copy ($20.00 value) of Ovson Communication's Goal Setting Guidebook. Whether you have goals for work or home, the exercises in this handy guide will help you define and reach your goals. It's not too late to make your 2006 resolutions.

Download your complimentary copy today. (511kb)

Dear Sigmund Psychie,

I'm always harried at work and my boss gives me too much to do. He says that they are all high priority and I'm going crazy because I can't finish any of them don't know where to begin.

- L.J. Crazy in Seattle

Dear Crazy in Seattle,

Take a deep breath (no kidding), plant your feet on the floor, and take control. First recognize yourself that all these things can't be done at the same time. See if you can figure out what is a priority. Then, tell your boss that all these things can't be done at the same time. See if he can understand that reality. Get your boss to come to the same conclusion that all these things can't be done at the same time. Get your boss to help you prioritize what's essential and important and has the most long-lasting effect.

It's essential to have your boss define your responsibilities to help you help him.

I hope you get some restful sleep.

http://www.ovson.com

Gain Power

• Recognize your feelings
• Understand what makes you stressed
• Define alternatives that reduce stress
• Ask for help

Prioritize

• Define important and urgent items
• Figure out what needs to be done first
• If necessary, delegate and/or ask for help

Spend 30 minutes clearing your desk of clutter. Put away what you don't need for that day. Throw away dry pens, broken office supplies, and empty out the recycling.