Behavioral psychologists say it takes about 21 days to make–or break–a habit.

So, if you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution and are already slipping, there’s still time to turn things around.

One of the easiest things you can do to achieve a goal is to write it down.  The very act of putting pen to paper helps clarify whatever you’re thinking about.  When you write down your goal, you create a living document that can be posted or revisited.  Reviewing the document provides serious emotional reinforcement.

Many smart people in history have become known for writing things down.

Once, there was a guy named Tim Matlock.  He was an architect who served on a committee to improve government.

Known to be a good writer with excellent penmanship, Tim was asked to create an official handwritten version of a very important document.  As clerk to the Secretary of the Continental Congress, Tim Matlock–Timothy Matlock–was chosen to inscribe the Declaration of Independence, perhaps one of the greatest goals ever put to paper.

Matlock’s work is now on display in the National Archives.

Writing down your goals is a very good idea!

-Michael Angelo Caruso, Communication That Means Business, www.MichaelAngeloCaruso.com