It’s the 15^th day of January! Have you already found that you haven’t met your New Year’s resolutions? Have you “fallen off the wagon” already with some of the resolutions for yourself and business? 

Instead of resolutions for the New Year; why not think about “solutions” that you can achieve this year for yourself and business. I believe that goal setting is also a great way to come up with these solutions. Additionally, establishing “SMART” goals for the year will assist with your “solutions.”

So, what exactly are SMART goals and how do you have them? I am glad you asked! 🙂 Quick history lesson, the SMART acronym first appeared in the November 1981 Management Review.  “There’s a S.M.A.R.T way to write management goals and objectives,” shares George Doran, Arthur Miller, and James Cunningham.

The five criteria include:

Specific: Target a specific area for improvement

Measurable: Quantify, or at least suggest, an indicator of progress

Assignable: Specify who will do it

Realistic: State what results can realistically be achieved given available resources.

Time-related: Specify when the result can be achieved.

Remember, goals are important and serve as an effective strategy in making plans happen.  You might be familiar with the quote by Benjamin Franklin, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”  Planning is essential to your goals.  It is important that your goals are not just something in your head, but rather doable steps. Additionally, you need a process that aligns with what you should do when it comes to your goals. 

The success of you and your business depends on your ability to set and achieve goals. Remember, it’s a new year, however it also requires a new mindset and doing things differently!