While driving last week, I heard a radio interview of a person who set a goal in January of 2009 to lose weight. A lot of weight. He set his goal of losing 90 pounds in the year 2009. He named it “90 in ‘09.” Catchy, don’t you think?

The results? By December 31, 2009, he actually lost 84 pounds. That’s an incredible achievement for him and he was obviously very pleased.

That said, did he fail? Technically, he was short of his goal by 6 pounds, so the answer is yes. Technically, he failed.

However, while there is no way of knowing, how much weight would he have lost if he hadn’t set such an ambitious goal? Would he be 84 pounds lighter today? I seriously doubt it. Now he is healthier, feels better about himself and has strengthened his goal-setting muscle.

He gave no details about how he did it, but we all know he made some changes in the way he lived his life. That’s what made the goal a reality—not the size of the goal, but the few, daily behavior changes he instituted that made the difference. In fact, if he documented how he lived his life differently in ’09, he would most likely address all the factors that are essential in achieving any goal.

Professionals are notorious for practicing each year like they did the year before, like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. How similar will 2010 be from 2009 for you? If you don’t set goals and intentionally change things, you can save on buying a new calendar.

Instead, set your goals for 2010 with courage. Assess the key changes you need to make. Tap into your inner motivations, be consistent with your disciplines and set up accountability mechanisms to keep yourself on track.