By Carolyn Le

It is the time of year for new beginnings, ushering in change, and of course resolutions. You may have some yourself or know friends and family setting goals. Optimistically and admirably, we hope for a better year than the last. However, it is a common theme to see many people to abandon their resolutions in the first few months of the year.

 

Who here has set a resolution only for it to remain simply a resolution?

 

I know I have…

 

Whether you call it a resolution, a goal, or a vision, they are all things we see and want to become better–maybe for yourself, your community, or for others. Why then do we so often give up on better and settle in complacency? Together we have been building our vision boards, but how do we turn those visions and dreams into action and reality?

 

Direction and motivation are key when setting a goal, and there’s an acronym that will help! You start by asking, are my goals SMART?

 

 

When your goals are SMART, you are more likely to achieve them!

I’ll share with you one of items on my vision board and the SMART goal I set.

 

GUITAR

 

Be as specific as you can and define the goal in such a way you can answer the “What, Who, and How (many)?” questions that are applicable.

Even more specifically I plan on learning how to fingerpick twelve songs, each song more difficult than the last.

 

Have your goals be measurable and set certain milestones to achieve them.

Creating milestones to your end goal will help motivate you as you hit each one–each will feel like a success and keep you going!

 

Is your goal attainable? Is it possible for you in the time-frame you set to achieve your goal?

Don’t let this translate into setting your goals too low. Push to do what will be hard for you. One of my past New Year’s resolution was to write a complete song on the guitar with a bridge. I completed this resolution in January, but I’m not much of a better guitarist or songwriter from when I started.

 

Are your goals relevant? Do they matter and are they beneficial to you in the long-run? Relevancy is the “why” behind the “what” and is integral to keeping a vision alive. High-achieving people are often asked, “How did you manage to keep going and not give up?” The “how” is major, but the “why” is usually the answer; High-achieving people remember why they set out on the goal and it drives them to the end.

Are there specific dates or time-allotments for the goal/milestones you’ve set? Setting a due date will increase a sense of urgency and will help motivate you.

Now that you know one of my SMART goals, you can help keep me accountable as well! When you’ve set a specific goal that matters with milestones, you have added details to a picture of a better future that you know is possible. So move forward with SMART goals and see them to the end.

Use the comment box below to share some of your SMART goals for 2016!

“Pay the price. Embrace the vision. After all, everybody ends up somewhere in life. You have the opportunity to end up somewhere on purpose.”- Andy Stanley, Visioneering