We are coming to the close of another year and as we look forward to 2017, I ask you…what do you want to accomplish? What goals do you have? Have you even thought about it?
Goals are like a map for your life. Without them you wonder aimlessly and have no direction. Would you consider going on a trip without knowing how to get where you are going? Most of us have a destination in mind when we leave home and an idea of how we are going to get there. Otherwise we would get lost….a lot! And that’s what it’s like to not have goals.
When we set goals there are some things to keep in mind. Be SMART about it. As you can see in the illustration above you want to be specific; state exactly what you want to do. You want your goal to be measurable: be able to determine how well you are doing at reaching your goal. You want it to be attainable, something YOU can actually accomplish. Are you goals relevant to the big picture of what you want to do. Another way to look at this, is it realistic. And last but not least… time-bound. No open-ended goals. Set a deadline or time-line for when you want to accomplish your goals.
You want to have both short-term and long-term goals. Lets say you have a dream of doing something BIG…you know….really GRAND. If you just focus on the bigness of your goal, you may become overwhelmed and get discouraged. But if you break it down into smaller, short-term goals, it becomes more manageable. It will also keep you on track. Just like taking a long road trip, you will have destinations on the way. The same goes for how short-term goals help you reach the overall objectives of your long-term goals.
So, as we bring this year to a close, I want you to look back and evaluate what you’ve done this past year and see where you need to go in the coming year. And write them down! Keep them in front of you throughout your day. This is key! Believe it or not, just by doing that one thing, you increase your chances of accomplishing what you set out to do by 42%! That’s huge!
Well guys, I hope this has been helpful. I wish all of you a Happy New Year! May this be the best you’ve ever had. Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you.
Becky
