It’s in the middle of January, so lots of us are thinking about what we want to get done this year. But how many of you actually accomplished the goals you set for yourself last year? Do you ever meet your annual goals, or do you forget about them?
Today I’m going to talk about five guidelines that will help you set smart goals for 2022. 1.
1. Be Specific
Ask yourself what goal you want to achieve. What’s involved in that goal? Why do you want to reach it? Get down to the nitty gritty. For example, deciding you want to lose weight isn’t specific enough. You need to specify how many pounds you want to lose, or pinpoint a workout goal.
You’ll also need to look ahead for the roadblocks. Figure out what might stop you from reaching that goal so you can anticipate challenges.
2. Make it Measurable
Say you want to make $100,000 this year. Well, what does that actually look like? Break that into smaller chunks, like months, weeks, or even days. When you think about it that way, does it still seem realistic? Will you be able to measure your progress as time goes on?
What gets measured gets done. So ask yourself, how can I set up some measurement points? When will I be able to check in on my goal?
3. Make a Time Limit
Give yourself a due date. Will you give yourself all the way until the end of the year, or sooner than that? Is this a recurring goal that you’ll need to hit multiple times in the year? If you want to lose twenty pounds or make $100,000, you need to have a timeframe.
But don’t forget to make a plan to reward yourself, too. When you actually achieve your goal, it’s good to reward yourself.
4. Make it Yours
You can’t just set a random number or give yourself a goal that someone else told you to have. A lot of people will tell you that you need to be working towards a certain amount of money or a certain number of followers, or whatever.
Your goal needs to be something you actually want to achieve and work towards. When you look at the goals you have now, ask yourself, are they really your goals? Or is someone else pushing them on you?
5. Write it Down
If you don’t write your goal down, you’re probably going to forget it. I didn’t write down my goals last year, and I forgot them. In May, I made a goal and actually wrote it down on a sticky note. I checked in on it every Monday to track my progress. I wanted to achieve my goal by Christmas, and I did it. It was specific, it was something I wanted, it was measurable, I gave myself a deadline, and I wrote it down. It’s super easy that way.
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Remember, the five guidelines to help you set your goals are: be specific, make it measurable, make a time limit, make it yours, and write it down.