At one point or another, the new year has placed upon you the duty of making a resolution. To some they are pointless, written on a paper then left on a desk or buried away. For a few, goals are subconscious pacts made with the self, and are quests in which every ounce of energy inside that person is secretly aimed at achieving. With all this is the sad joke that these resolutions are bound to fail.
While not everyone will suffer from this there are major flaws in many of the resolutions made. First, immediately discount any resolutions that don’t meet at least three of these simple characteristics: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time based. The acronym SMART can be used for memorization purposes. The dribble sputtered as resolutions that contain one or none of these follow the dream route more than anything else.
Here is a quick example of the difference of what the above means. Mr. Bob says he wants to lose weight. While this may be an achievable goal, he fails to meet much else with this statement. Mr. Joe, meanwhile states that he wants to lose five pounds before his wedding in three months by running three times a week. Even if Mr. Joe is rocking only 7 percent body fat, he is still more likely to meet his goal.
Furthering this though is that goals will generally meet the SMART criteria if one factor is in play. Mr. Joe may go get a gym membership, buy new workout clothes and protein powder, but still not lose his desired weight. Mr. Joe may just not have committed to his goal. Yes, he spent all this money on equipment and tools to do so, but if Mr. Joe isn’t willing to get up an hour before work to get his run in, he is doomed from the start. Mr. Bob though, has finally decided it is time for a change. While his original statement is lacking, this doesn’t have to stop him from changing and evolving his plans so he can meet his goal.
In recap, I don’t want your New Year’s resolution to fail. Don’t write off any goal as too expensive, unattainable or even as a joke. It is never too late to reevaluate and change it. Make your goal fit the SMART conditions: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time based. Lastly, don’t be afraid to commit to a purpose. In the words of Pablo Picasso “Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.”
