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The New Year is the Perfect Time to Start Anew
Be SMART this year. Set goals, not resolutions. Goals are thoughtful, structured and create accountability. Resolutions are inconsistent intentions that are difficult to measure.
Goals are most effective when written down, stated in the affirmative and visited/reviewed regularly. Goal setting is a powerful tool to help you create opportunities.
As an organizer, my client’s biggest concern is always “not having enough time.” We all have exactly the same amount of time. It is the one thing we all have in common. So why is it that some people seem to be in control all the time, get so much more done, and accomplish so much? Studies have shown that one of the tools that these “accomplished” individuals consistently utilize is the process of setting goals.
It is one of the most powerful tools EACH and EVERY ONE of us has available. Here are a few tips on how you too can utilize this powerful tool.
1. In order for goal setting to be affective your goals must be written in a SMART format:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Realistic
T – Timely
2. Create both business and personal goals. Business goals help you set and maintain direction. Personal goals are important for your life balance.
3. Remember that goal setting is a journey, not a destination.
4. Goal setting is proactive, not reactive. By reflecting on what is important now, it enables us to make value-based decisions later when conflicts arise.
5. Goal setting gives you a bench mark throughout the year to see if you are ‘on target’.
6. Your goals MUST be written down. It is THE most important aspect of achieving your goals. Writing your goals down creates accountability.
7. Visit your written goals often. Keep your goals in a place where you can see them. It is important to “check in” with yourself to see how you are doing.
8. Now you have set your goals. The next step is to begin to implement them.
9. Break your goals down into manageable, doable steps.
10. Plan and schedule time on your calendar to achieve these individual steps.
11. Stick to that schedule. This will take extreme discipline. There will always be conflicts between what you HAVE to do and want you WANT to do. That is why you spent the time to set goals.
If you are a Harry Potter fan, you may remember this line, "It is not our abilities that show our character, it is our choices.quot; Goal setting is about choices. Choices for the way we decide to live our lives.
Learn more about this and other productivity techniques with Shawn Kershaw, Inc.
