The beginning of the year is the perfect time to think about the goals you desire to accomplish for the next 12 months. Many people have steered away from making New Year Resolutions to creating elaborate or simple vision boards. Whether a strong declaration is your thing or a picturesque poster with your ideas, the intent is to finish strong. We all know people, and probably, we ourselves, have created goals and have seen them drift away by the beginning of March. One of the reasons the goals drift away is because we didn’t strategically plan how we want to see them unfold.
When thinking about goals, the familiar SMART acronym comes to mind. I’m sure you’re familiar with it, but since it’s the beginning of a new year, it bears mentioning again!
S – Specific
Bring clarity to the dreams and goals you want to accomplish by defining the goal as much as possible.
M – Measurable
How will you determine if/when the goal is achieved? Do you have benchmarks set? Can you track the progress or outcome?
A – Attainable/Achievable
Ensure that your goal is reasonable. It shouldn’t be too low that it’s below your standards. However, it shouldn’t be too high that it’s out of reach.
R – Relevant
The goal should improve your overall life plan. Yes, this is just one year, but this goal can impact you in the future as well
T – Timely
Your goal should have a time limit. This will help you stay on track and prompt you to reach the goal at the designated time.
Happy Goal Achieving!