New Year’s Resolutions: Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Not everyone is into making New Year s resolutions. Some would rather not hassle with the process, some think its a lost cause, while others simply use different monikers. I have a friend who, instead of setting “New Year’s resolutions”, phrases the purpose of the next 12 months as “naming your year”. I think that’s a brilliant method in setting a year’s focus without putting undo stress of very specific goals.

Do I make New Year s resolutions?

Yup. I love them. I grew up being asked what my short term and long term goals were for the year. I make New Year’s resolutions every year, to varying degrees. Here’s why:

1. No one gets to name the goal, but you. At work you have bosses giving you deadlines. At home you have bills needing your money or family needing your attention. But when goal setting, YOU pick an area of your life that YOU want to focus on, make a plan of action and execute. I find that life kind of gets in the way without having set goals for the things you truly want.

2. New Year’s is the beginning of so many possibilities. I’m that person that won’t watch a movie at all if I can’t watch from the beginning. Who detests getting gas if not to fill the tank up completely. Also, I’ve learned that I am most productive in my goals when they are set with a specific start date, so New Year’s works well for me.

3. Life! The older I get, and especially the further I move along in my parenthood, I’ve learned that life can really soak up all your focus and attention. I have a one track mind of the WORST kind. Seriously, there is no multitasking in my brain {and I’m not promoting this as a positive}. My closest friends and family know this about me, and love me despite it. 2011 ended my first year as a mother, and while Alina got 100% the best of me every single day, other areas of my life were nearly ignored; including myself and my marriage. But D and I set the goal of becoming parents together, and while I was focused on motherhood, he threw himself into the role of provider. With our confidence as parents established, I’m excited to see what we decide to focus on for 2012.

How do I set my goals? When setting goals, the more specific I get, the better my outcomes. While in college, I learned the art of setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. Whether trying to pay down debt, save for a vacation or {like my Brother} train for an IronMan, this system is ingenious in creating actionable plans. And so to be clear, yes. I really do go through this practice with every single goal. Yes, I really do have it saved on an excel worksheet. And yes, I really do check back on my goals often throughout the year. When my goal was to save a certain amount of money, I would go through our finances with a fine tooth comb {which is something I should always do anyway} and update the spreadsheets accordingly. Remember that one track mind of mine? Ya, without a goal, monthly budgets are blown all over the place over here! Very ugly.

What is a S.M.A.R.T. goal? To be smart, a goal must be…
{Example goal: Take family on a nice vacation this year.}

S: Specific- state your goal in detail {Ex: Save $5,000 for family vacation to Mexico in October 2012.}
M: Measurable- create mini goals that will help you achieve your smart goal {Ex: Save $835/ month from January to July {6 months}.
A: Achievable- ensure your goal is realistic. {Ex: Reduce entertainment expenditure and increase savings to allow for $835/month vacation savings.}
R: Reasonable- ensure your goal is in line with the place you are currently at in life {Ex: Yes, all other savings plans are funded and debt is paid off.}
T: Time Bound- your goal must have an end date; a way to measure success. {Ex: We will go on vacation in October 2012, with savings goal met in July.

And that’s it! Pretty cool, huh? Its such a simple process, but having a goal disected and mapped out makes a huge difference in my ability to absorb and understand what I have prompted myself to do over the allotted time. I know that, without taking a formal approach in goal setting, my ambitions are usually fruitless. Planning gives me motivation. But that’s just me. Care to share how you set goals and stick to them?

And rest assured, we are not taking a $5,000 family vacation to Mexico in 2012. Our saving plans are not funded, debt is not paid off and traveling out of the country with an infant is not my idea of a relaxing trip. In fact, most of our 2012 goals will likely be about saving and paying down the debt we’ve incurred recently. Oh, and giving birth to a healthy miracle in April is high on our priority list as well {would it be too much to ask to lose about 30 pounds, too? Maybe! Ha!} Daddy D and I are scheduled for our goal setting date within the next few nights, while Alina is fast asleep and we are snuggled on our new couch {laptop within reach}.

I hope my neurosis in goal setting has helped at least one of you beloved readers. I love New Years, and all the beautiful gifts out there for us to earn and yearn for. May each of you succeed in all your endeavors, hope and dreams, regardless of how you go about planning them