During New Year’s holiday, we often set our personal and professional resolutions for the year ahead. Once back in the hectic everyday life, however, we frequently put our good intentions aside. Months later, we find ourselves frustrated by the lack of progress in what we wanted to realize. How can you help yourself turn your resolutions into reality?
First of all, turn your resolutions into goals.
What does it mean? Take a sheet of paper and five minutes of your time.
- The first characteristic of a well-defined goal – what the coaches call a “smart” goal – is being specific. What exactly do you want to achieve? If you had to describe your objective in one sentence to a kid, what would you say?
- Then think about the reachability of your goal. Is achieving your objective entirely under your own control, or do you need help from others? Who are them, and how can you engage them, in this case? What resources have you currently accessible for accomplishing what you desire? What stopped you from achieving your goal in the past?
- If your objective is not under your own control (i.e. becoming the M.D. of your company), what can you do specifically to increase the likelihood that what you want turns into reality? This will be the goal to work on. If your aim is very ambitious, break it down into more manageable sub-goals, then work on them in a structured way to reach your overall goal.
- As managers who handle KPI know, another important characteristic of a well-defined objective is its measurability. Putting it simply: how will you know when you achieve your goal? What criteria will help you to evaluate it? Which level of them will make you satisfied?
- Then think about the time. By when will you fulfill your goal? Set a deadline, and schedule also an intermediate date to monitor your progress.
Finally, remember that achieving a goal is hard, and requires time.
Being motivated is important!
What makes your goal so important for you? How will your personal and professional life be better when you accomplish your goal? Suppose for a moment that you fulfill your goal: what do you feel?
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” (Tao Te Ching)