Whether it’s getting in shape or growing your business, setting a New Year’s resolution is one thing, but fully committing yourself to achieving it is another. In almost all of my classes this semester, we have discussed the importance of creating SMART goals and objectives for campaigns and events. However, the use of SMART goals is not limited to the business world. In fact, applying the concept when you set your New Year’s resolution may help you to stick to it and achieve it.
Specific
When you’re deciding what you want to achieve in 2019, make sure that your goal is specific. “Getting in shape” is a great goal, but how are you going to do it? Losing 15 pounds before March 31 or working out at least 4 days a week every week are examples of specific goals. Clearly defining what your goal is will help you determine if you’ve achieved it.
Measurable
You should be able to measure your progress toward your goal in some way. If your goal is to grow your business, how much do you need to grow in order to consider your goal achieved? The more specific your goal is, the easier it will be to measure your success.
Achievable
Regardless of what your goals for the New Year are, they should challenge you, not set you up for failure. Setting a goal that is unrealistic will leave you feeling disappointed and frustrated. Make sure to form a goal that you can challenge yourself to actually achieve.
Relevant
Your goal should be something that really matters to you, and achieving it should bring you some sort of satisfaction. If you set a goal half-heartedly, achieving it will not be nearly as satisfying as it should be.
Timely
Setting a goal with no deadline makes it easy to forget or put off. Setting a deadline for achieving your goal may give you some added motivation to make it happen.
When you apply these concepts to your New Year’s resolutions, you will be ready to get your New Year off to a SMART start!
