Want to make your New Year’s resolutions actually happen next year? This article will show you how to turn your New Year’s resolutions into goals and achieve them.
New Year’s resolutions are a great way to move your life ahead. They give you hope for the New Year plus direction for your life. New Year’s resolutions seem to bring out more creative, adventurous ideas, than if we told ourselves to make a list of goals for next year. In fact many more people make New Year’s resolutions than set goals. 32% of people 54 years old and up make New Year’s resolutions, and for the 18 to 34 year old group the figure is 57%. Whereas only about 5% of the population regularly set goals. Unfortunately, most New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside within a week.
You had some great ideas for New Year’s resolutions, so how do you stop them from falling by the wayside?
The first step is to write all of the New Year’s resolutions down and analyze them. Are any of them conflicting, such as making more money versus taking more time off? Next look at them and ask if they are really achievable. Do they call for physical feats you can never match? Do they seem silly now that you see them written out? So cull out the resolutions don’t past muster so far. Now you have a list that you can work with.
Next make sure you don’t have more than five resolutions on your list, as more than that will probably dilute you efforts. Concentrate only on the highest priority items.
The next step is to rewrite the resolutions into goals, as be as specific as possible. It is safe to call them goals now, as the part where we need to be the most creative in generating ideas for objectives is past. You had a resolution to make more money next year, so exactly how much do you want to earn next year, when will you earn it, how will you earn it, where will you earn it and so on. Make sure every goal is totally clear and it gives you some stretch, yet is still achievable. .
Once the goal is clear, look at the goal and make sure it is measurable, so you can track your progress, through feedback and then adjust accordingly.
Next you need a plan for each of the goals. Break down the steps needed to be done, in the order they are to be done. Once again, be specific, list who will do what and when. It also helps to assign a dollar and time budget to the steps so you understand what is involved.
Here is the biggest step. Take Action. Start to work you plan.
Once the plan is underway, start to measure your progress and correct what you need to as you move along.
As you move along on your plan, use affirmations as visualization to help you keep motivated. Affirmations are positive statements, starting with “I am” that describe you achieving your goal.
For instance if your goal is to make $100, 000 next year, each day, say out loud “I am a person who is earning $100,000 this year. Visualizations are guided daydreams showing you actually attaining your goal and should also be done daily.
Take setbacks in stride; turn them into comebacks by learning what went wrong, making adjustments and moving on. Don’t give up on a goal, if your timetable is thrown off. It the goal is still something you want, just believe it is better to achieve success late, than never at all.
While having New Year’s resolutions and goals are great, and achieving them is even better, there is an even better reason for setting them. The major reason for setting a goal is for you to become the person that can accomplish it. How you become a better person will always be of far greater value than what you get. The ultimate reason for setting goals is to become the person that will achieve them.
So start listing your New Year’s resolutions right now, regardless if you have been naughty or nice this year. You are on your way to making next year, your dream year. Happy New Year.
James Boehm Every Month A Million and the Daily Dose Of Good.
Showing posts with label Specific. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Specific. Show all posts
Monday, January 4, 2010
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Goal Setting: A Surefire Way To Achieve Your Goals.
Some people seem to be able to naturally achieve their important goals. They make it look easy -- like they were born to do it.
They wake up excited about the day ahead and can’t wait to get started. They work because they want to, not because they have to. They care deeply about what they are doing and how it affects other people, and they have a deep sense of fulfillment that is very energizing and inspiring.
I bet that goals don’t seem quite as simple or natural to you... at least not yet.
Here’s the first secret you need to learn about achieving your goals:
NATURAL GOAL ACHIEVERS ARE MADE... NOT BORN!
Natural goal achievers -- those people who know how to use goals to get what they want -- are NOT better than you. They’ve just mastered certain things that most other people never learn and they do certain things that most other people never do. Every natural goal achiever had to figure out the secrets of setting and achieving goals successfully.
Natural goal achievers discovered this important life skill themselves through years of trial and error, or they learned it from a great mentor who took them under their wing and showed them the ropes. They’ve just been doing it for so long that it’s become second nature to them... that’s why it seems like a talent they were born with.
This is great news because it means that YOU CAN DO IT TOO. Anyone can learn how to set and achieve inspiring, meaningful, life-changing goals if they really want to.
I will have much more on the secrets of setting and achieving your goals in future post,
but first the basics.....
Here is the SMART way to set and achieve your goals.
I encourage you to pick up a pen and a piece of paper and jot down the goals you want to reach. Look at each goal and evaluate it. Make any changes necessary to ensure it meets the criteria for SMART goals:
S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timely
Specific
Goals should be straight forward and emphasize what you want to happen. Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do.
Specific is the What, Why, and How of the SMART model.
WHAT are you going to do? Use action words such as direct, organize, coordinate, lead, develop, plan, build etc.
WHY is this important to do at this time? What do you want to ultimately accomplish?
HOW are you going to do it? (By...)
Ensure the goals you set is very specific, clear and easy. Instead of setting a goal to lose weight or be healthier, set a specific goal to lose 2cm off your waistline or to walk 5 miles at an aerobically challenging pace.
Measurable
If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. In the broadest sense, the whole goal statement is a measure for the project; if the goal is accomplished, there is a success. However, there are usually several short-term or small measurements that can be built into the goal.
Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. How will you see when you reach your goal? Be specific! "I want to read 3 chapter books of 100 pages on my own before my birthday" shows the specific target to be measure. "I want to be a good reader" is not as measurable.
Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goals.
Attainable
When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop that attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. Your begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.
Goals you set which are too far out of your reach, you probably won't commit to doing. Although you may start with the best of intentions, the knowledge that it's too much for you means your subconscious will keep reminding you of this fact and will stop you from even giving it your best.
A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a real commitment from you. For instance, if you aim to lose 20lbs in one week, we all know that isn't achievable. But setting a goal to loose 1lb and when you've achieved that, aiming to lose a further 1lb, will keep it achievable for you.
The feeling of success which this brings helps you to remain motivated.
Realistic
This is not a synonym for "easy." Realistic, in this case, means "do-able." It means that the learning curve is not a vertical slope; that the skills needed to do the work are available; that the project fits with the overall strategy and goals of the organization. A realistic project may push the skills and knowledge of the people working on it but it shouldn't break them.
Devise a plan or a way of getting there which makes the goal realistic. The goal needs to be realistic for you and where you are at the moment. A goal of never again eating sweets, cakes, crisps and chocolate may not be realistic for someone who really enjoys these foods.
For instance, it may be more realistic to set a goal of eating a piece of fruit each day instead of one sweet item. You can then choose to work towards reducing the amount of sweet products gradually as and when this feels realistic for you.
Be sure to set goals that you can attain with some effort! Too difficult and you set the stage for failure, but too low sends the message that you aren't very capable. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement!
Timely
Set a time frame for the goal: for next week, in three months, by fifth grade. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards.
If you don't set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any time. Without a time limit, there's no urgency to start taking action now.
Time must be measurable, attainable and realistic.
Everyone will benefit from goals and objectives if they are SMART. SMART, is the instrument to apply in setting your goals and objectives.
Every Month A Million
They wake up excited about the day ahead and can’t wait to get started. They work because they want to, not because they have to. They care deeply about what they are doing and how it affects other people, and they have a deep sense of fulfillment that is very energizing and inspiring.
I bet that goals don’t seem quite as simple or natural to you... at least not yet.
Here’s the first secret you need to learn about achieving your goals:
NATURAL GOAL ACHIEVERS ARE MADE... NOT BORN!
Natural goal achievers -- those people who know how to use goals to get what they want -- are NOT better than you. They’ve just mastered certain things that most other people never learn and they do certain things that most other people never do. Every natural goal achiever had to figure out the secrets of setting and achieving goals successfully.
Natural goal achievers discovered this important life skill themselves through years of trial and error, or they learned it from a great mentor who took them under their wing and showed them the ropes. They’ve just been doing it for so long that it’s become second nature to them... that’s why it seems like a talent they were born with.
This is great news because it means that YOU CAN DO IT TOO. Anyone can learn how to set and achieve inspiring, meaningful, life-changing goals if they really want to.
I will have much more on the secrets of setting and achieving your goals in future post,
but first the basics.....
Here is the SMART way to set and achieve your goals.
I encourage you to pick up a pen and a piece of paper and jot down the goals you want to reach. Look at each goal and evaluate it. Make any changes necessary to ensure it meets the criteria for SMART goals:
S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timely
Specific
Goals should be straight forward and emphasize what you want to happen. Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do.
Specific is the What, Why, and How of the SMART model.
WHAT are you going to do? Use action words such as direct, organize, coordinate, lead, develop, plan, build etc.
WHY is this important to do at this time? What do you want to ultimately accomplish?
HOW are you going to do it? (By...)
Ensure the goals you set is very specific, clear and easy. Instead of setting a goal to lose weight or be healthier, set a specific goal to lose 2cm off your waistline or to walk 5 miles at an aerobically challenging pace.
Measurable
If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. In the broadest sense, the whole goal statement is a measure for the project; if the goal is accomplished, there is a success. However, there are usually several short-term or small measurements that can be built into the goal.
Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. How will you see when you reach your goal? Be specific! "I want to read 3 chapter books of 100 pages on my own before my birthday" shows the specific target to be measure. "I want to be a good reader" is not as measurable.
Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goals.
Attainable
When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop that attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. Your begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.
Goals you set which are too far out of your reach, you probably won't commit to doing. Although you may start with the best of intentions, the knowledge that it's too much for you means your subconscious will keep reminding you of this fact and will stop you from even giving it your best.
A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a real commitment from you. For instance, if you aim to lose 20lbs in one week, we all know that isn't achievable. But setting a goal to loose 1lb and when you've achieved that, aiming to lose a further 1lb, will keep it achievable for you.
The feeling of success which this brings helps you to remain motivated.
Realistic
This is not a synonym for "easy." Realistic, in this case, means "do-able." It means that the learning curve is not a vertical slope; that the skills needed to do the work are available; that the project fits with the overall strategy and goals of the organization. A realistic project may push the skills and knowledge of the people working on it but it shouldn't break them.
Devise a plan or a way of getting there which makes the goal realistic. The goal needs to be realistic for you and where you are at the moment. A goal of never again eating sweets, cakes, crisps and chocolate may not be realistic for someone who really enjoys these foods.
For instance, it may be more realistic to set a goal of eating a piece of fruit each day instead of one sweet item. You can then choose to work towards reducing the amount of sweet products gradually as and when this feels realistic for you.
Be sure to set goals that you can attain with some effort! Too difficult and you set the stage for failure, but too low sends the message that you aren't very capable. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement!
Timely
Set a time frame for the goal: for next week, in three months, by fifth grade. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards.
If you don't set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any time. Without a time limit, there's no urgency to start taking action now.
Time must be measurable, attainable and realistic.
Everyone will benefit from goals and objectives if they are SMART. SMART, is the instrument to apply in setting your goals and objectives.
Every Month A Million
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