Resolution – A promise to do something differently.
Goal – The end toward which effort is directed.

New Year’s Resolutions

This is the time of year when many people are making resolutions to make changes in their behavior in order to achieve a specific outcome. At least it should be specific. The most common New Year’s resolutions are centered around:
• Weight loss and physical fitness
• Save money and/or get out of debt
• Spend more time with family
• Get a new job
• Quit smoking

The reality is that most people don’t make it more than a couple of weeks before they have been pulled into the same old habits. In fact, there are terms associated with just when resolutions fall by the wayside. “Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day” is January 17th. And “Quitters Day” is the second Friday in January. According to Forbes Health, the average resolution lasts 3.74 months.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Perhaps a better strategy is to set goals and have a written plan on just how to achieve those goals. When making goals, you want to make them S.M.A.R.T.
• Specific – Well written and not general in nature. Write down what you will do and when you will do it.
• Measurable – An example would be, “I am going to increase revenue by 10% every quarter over the previous quarter.” This would also meet the criteria of being specific.
• Attainable – Realistic and one that will stretch you. If your goals are too big, you might get discouraged and quit. A goal that makes you work to reach it will give you a sense of accomplishment.
• Relevant – It should be compatible with the market you are in. If you are in a buyer’s market, then setting a goal of increasing your listing volume by 200% is not relevant to market conditions. In this case, it would make more sense to set a goal of increasing your buyer clients by 200%.
• Timely – It needs to have a deadline and it needs to be a fairly short time frame. When we set annual goals many times we end up trying to catch up in the 4th quarter. Shorter time frames give us less opportunity to procrastinate.

To be successful at achieving goals, after you have written your S.M.A.R.T. goals, create a weekly plan. For example, pick a day of the week, sit down in a quiet place, and write down specific tasks that you will do the following week that will align with achieving your overall goal. Breaking down tasks for just one week at a time makes the big goal less overwhelming. If you have set a big goal for the year, it might be intimidating. But when you are focusing on just one week at a time, the goal becomes very manageable and achievable.

Can One Lead to Another?

Perhaps New Year’s resolutions and goals can complement each other. It’s great to have a goal. It may take some resolve to stick with it over the long haul. The definition of resolve is to make a firm decision. It will require a firm decision to reach a goal that stretches you. But the payoff is big. The payoff is better health, or improved finances, or a stronger family unit, or…you name it.

So go set those goals and write down your plan of action. As it has been said, “Shoot for the stars and you just might reach the moon!”