Ah, New Year’s Resolutions! We love to make ’em and tear ’em!
It’s common to speak of broken resolutions at year’s end. Despite our expectations for January 1, many people end the year with excess weight, 40 pounds, junk food, sleep in, neglected their families, and wondering why they couldn’t keep their resolutions. Every year, we do our best to keep our resolutions. Then we forget about them by February 1. We fail every year.
Can this year really be — truly, actually, actually, honestly — a year of change?
It can. And you’re about the discover how. This article will show you how to conquer all your New Year’s resolutions.
TeamGantt is dedicated to helping you achieve your goals. This is what our software is all about. We want to take this a step further and share a plan that will help achieve your New Year’s resolutions and the satisfaction that comes with it.
You’ll find solid advice to help you get where you want to be, whether you’re starting a business, starting your career, a parent, a student or even if it’s not clear where you are.
You will learn how to set your goals, how you can create your lifestyle to be goal-oriented, how to reach those goals, and how to keep yourself motivated for the long term.
How to make your New Year’s Goals: Set SMART Goals
Setting the wrong goals is the worst mistake when setting goals. It’s easy for you to blame yourself for failing to keep your resolutions or failing to achieve them. The problem may not lie with you. The problem with broken New Years’ goals is often the goals themselves.
Here’s an example. Let’s say you want to lose weight. This is what 60% of Americans want. You resolve to change your life. Here’s what you need to do:
“I resolve to lose weight.”
This is not a goal. This is a statement about truth or falsity, depending on your moral resolve. Let’s face facts, your moral resolve will not take you very far.
If you are familiar with goal setting, you may have heard of the SMART acronym. This guide has been used by millions of project managers around the globe. Although it is familiar, it is worth repeating. This is the ultimate criterion to goal-setting.
Specific
How do you know if you have achieved your goal? Make it specific. A specific goal must have an end point. It’s not a lofty goal. “Being more organized” is not an objective. It is a specific goal to organize the top drawer on my desk by Saturday, from 1p-3p.
The most popular goal is to lose weight. It’s also the most abandoned goal, as it’s too vague. “Join the Neighborhood Couch To 5k Program and participate three days per week from 7:30-8.30am.” is specific.
It is important to know what you want to accomplish in general and then break it down into what you can do to achieve that specific goal. (Repeat that.)
You might want to “be better project managers.” This is a nice goal, but not a goal. It should be broken down into a concrete point. Instead, your goal should read “Resolved”: To refrain from yelling at employees until the next cubicle can hear my voice. Only then will you be able to set specific goals that will help achieve that goal.
Measurable
To make a goal quantifiable, you need to know if and how you are achieving it. This is not necessary
