Set SMART Goals for 2009!
The New Year is a great time to reflect on 2008 and set goals for 2009. But why should we add more pressure to our lives by setting goals that we may or may not obtain? Goal setting helps you focus your energy and set your priorities. You take control of your actions and time, rather than letting time and money slip through your hands wondering where it all went at the end of the year.
Accomplishing goals boosts your self-confidence and gives you a ton of motivation to make your life better. Even if you are satisfied with how your life is going, setting a goal and the challenge of seeing if you can meet them is incredibly motivating and enjoyable.
The key to taking pride in meeting your goals is to set SMART goals. Don’t just throw random resolutions into the void hoping that they will somehow be met. Create goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.
One goal that my husband set for himself was to read one non-fiction book a month for the entire year. He could have said, “I would like to read more non-fiction books this year,” but how would he have known if he met it? His goal is SMART.
The goal: To read one non-fiction book a month for the entire year.
specific: one non-fiction book
measurable: one book a month for the year
attainable: challenging to find time to read, but not too far from reach
realistic: reading non-fiction isn’t a chore for him
timely: there is a timeframe for his goal.
On New Year’s Day last year my husband and I found a family member to babysit our baby while we went out to lunch and discussed our goals for the year. We will probably do the same this year. We set goals as a family and separately as individuals.
Sharing our goals with each other brings us closer together in our marriage. He also holds me accountable for mine, but only if I ask to hold me accountable! Conversely I don’t nag him either. It is just a fun exercise to even express our goals and dream out loud to each other. We like to set goals for different categories such as physical, financial, spiritual, social and intellectual.
Over the next three days I am going to post ideas for SMART goals in the financial, physical, and intellectual categories. I hope you come back and join me as we discuss our goals in these three areas!
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I am excited about this series of posts. Though goal-setting is sometimes a draining task, as it requires some thoughtfulness and care, the rewards are so worth it. I look forward to your ideas this week and will hopefully put them to use!
Hi, Thought I’d add my thoughts about your idea (which I like, BTW). I no longer make “resolutions” as this gives me the visualization that I must really work, work, work, to get whatever it is done. I make GOALS – which makes me think, “Yes, I can do this!” I know the two words probably have similar meanings but to me, Goals are attainable, Resolutions are ideas that can be easily broken.
thanks