Having clear goals and a plan can bring your family together and help you be healthier all year. All positive changes—tiny or drastic—can improve your everyday life. Make this New Year count and create a plan to follow through on your resolutions!

The following tips from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Family Guide can help you successfully plan and achieve your goals:

1. Be specific. When thinking about goals, be as exact as possible. People who set specific goals are more likely to succeed. For example, instead of saying that you want to save money, set a specific goal to save $500 (or whatever your goal amount is) per week.
2. Put it in writing. Write down exactly what you want to achieve and post it in a place where you will see it every day. This will help remind you of what you’re working toward. When you write, use positive terms. For example, instead of writing, “I will stop eating junk food,” re-word your goal in more positive terms: “I will make healthy food choices.”
3. Set realistic goals. When you think about setting goals, make sure that they are within your reach. Be mindful of your finances, schedule, and other personal affairs. Remembering these important factors will help you set realistic goals. It’s unreasonable to expect to make a lot of big changes at the same time.
4. Develop an action plan. Create a time-line with steps toward your goal. Set deadlines for each step and cross them off as you go. Sometimes just crossing things off, and watching your list get smaller can give you a sense of accomplishment and help you stay motivated.
5. Believe in yourself. Stay positive about your progress. Share your goal with a friend and ask him to help keep your spirits up. To quote Henry Ford, “If you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.”
6. Be flexible. Keep in mind that setbacks can happen. Don’t get discouraged and give up. Try again! Your hard work will pay off!
7. Ask for help. If you get stuck or need a little encouragement, don’t be afraid to talk about it. You might be surprised what kind of support people offer.
8. Reward yourself. Acknowledge your achievements, even the small ones. Reaching a goal takes hard work and you should be proud of your efforts. Celebrating could mean sharing an apple with your child or taking some time for yourself.

Best wishes for reaching your goals in 2011!

With December 31st just around the corner, the annual Medicare enrollment period is almost over! Making the most suitable choice on your Medicare plan(s) the first time is extremely important.

Why? The options for what was known as “open” enrollment (to make changes if you don’t like what you chose during the annual enrollment period) are different than in previous years. For 2011, the open enrollment is now the Medicare Advantage Dis-enrollment period:

• Changes can only be made from January 1 to February 15, 2011 (which is six weeks shorter than allowed previously)
• In that time frame, your ONLY option is to drop out of a Medicare Advantage and opt for traditional Medicare and a Medicare D plan

So, if you have yet to enroll for your Medicare plan, make sure to check out your options thoroughly and get your enrollment in by December 31st! For a helpful guide on doing this, we found Mark Miller’s article to be quite informative: http://retirementrevised.com/money/how-to-shop-for-medicare-d-drug-plans-this-fall.

You may also wish to visit Medicare.gov’s Plan Finder tool to compare coverage options.

Although Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) were suspended for last year, if you are 70 1/2 or older or the beneficiary of an IRA, you must take a RMD for the year 2010. If you have not yet taken your RMD, this is a final reminder that you must take it before the end of the year! Unfortunately, if you miss the dealline, you will be subject to a 50% penalty on any missed distributions.

Your RMD should be taken for the total of all of your IRAs (remember Roth IRAs are not subject to RMDs). To figure your RMD, visit http://www.irs.gov/publications/p590/ch01.html#en_US_publink1000230772 or contact us for more information.

As we make our way into the month of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we have found even more reasons why our clients are such amazing people. They certainly like to dig in and make a difference for the community and the world!

Take, for example, Mark Dossey, Manny Jimenez, Ron Jean and Dave Saum. These buddies have taken their love of cooking and have decided to make a difference by becoming chefs for a day. They decided to organize a breakfast benefit at Key Largo and volunteer their cooking skills to help multiple local charities: Toys for Tots, the Humane Society, Francis Street Food Bank and the Backpack Program. Sound like a great idea!? You can help, too! Come have breakfast at Key Largo (1896 Horton Road, Jackson) between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Friday, December 10th. The tasty menu includes: scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage gravy/biscuits, hash browns, toast and breakfast burritos. The cost of the breakfast is whatever size donation you’d like to make.

Mark Dossey & Ron Jean in the kitchen.               Manny Jimenez (the Elf) & Mary Jean.

Then, we have Bruce Green. He has been actively involved with Habitat for Humanity and Greater Jackson’s ReStore. Haven’t heard about ReStore? Well you’re in luck. Wednesday, Dec. 8th between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. ReStore will be having their Grand Opening Open House at 251 W. Prospect. Join them between 11:30 and 1 for a light lunch with finger foods. Or, stop by for the dedication ceremony at 12:30 p.m. led by President Eric Johnson, Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran. For those of you unfamiliar, ReStore offers a large selection of new and gently used items for the home. Come and save on purchases or make a donation to help families in need.

So there you have it! Just a few examples of our great clients in action. We hope you’re as inspired as we are!