Goals for the New Year

Rather than create a New Year's Resolution, sit down with your entire family and talk about each person's goals for this new year.

A goal is something that they can accomplish completely through their own effort. Compare this to a desire, which can only be accomplished with the cooperation of other people.

There are lots of areas in which you can set goals: Work, education, relaxation, relationships, spiritual, financial, health, etc.

First have everyone list some ideas on their own paper. Then review each one and decide if it is a goal or a desire.

Next analyze the goals, using the acronym SMARTPLUS. The quoted explanations below are from the book "Retire - And Start Your Own Business" by Dennis & Martha Sargent.

S = Specific. A goal should be focused.

M = Measureable. How will you know when the goal has been achieved?

A = Attainable. "If a goal is too easy, it's not likely to motiviate you. If it's too hard, you may give up hope. Only you can decide how to challenge yourself without going overboard."

R = Rewarding. "Achieving your goal should make you feel great. It doesn't matter if anyone else recognizes your achievement, as long as you do. It should be something you really want, not something that someone else things you ought to do."

T = Timely. "Setting a time frame for a goal will help to ensure that you spend time on it. You may have daily goals, monthly goals and lifetime goals."

P = Positive. "It's usually much more effective to stat your goals in a positive way" because it is a better motivator. State what you will do, not what you won't do.

L = Linked. "Link your goals to the balance of work, play, and learning you envision."

U = Unbundled. Does your goal contain subgoals that you can break out into steps?

S = Shifting. "A key to achieve your goals is maintaining focus, but don't think this means your goals are set in stone. Goals can, and do, change. That's why it's important to keep an eye on your progress and consider whether your goals need adjustment."

Now write out goal statements. For each goal, write answer to these questions: "I will know I've met this goal when:...." and "I will accomplishg this goal by/within:...."