Every year, as we start and look ahead into the New Year (which is only weeks away), we ask people around us “What is your New Year’s Resolution?” I found that approximately 40% of people actually make a New Year’s Resolution while 8% are able to meet that resolution[1].
I don’t see myself as someone that sets resolutions, but I do set S.M.A.R.T. goals for myself. You may say that there is no difference between setting a goal and setting a resolution. A resolution is “a promise that you make to yourself to start doing something good or stop doing something bad”[2] while a goal is “a desired result a person or a system envisions, plans and commits to achieve a personal or organizational desired end-point in some sort of assumed development.[3]”
From this standpoint, a goal has a timeline and a plan. A resolution is a change you want to make but with no timeline, plan, or point of interest in mind. With these items lacking, it makes sense that resolutions are not kept.
For the coming year, when you are thinking about your New Year’s Resolution, how about making it a S.M.A.R.T goal.
S: Specific – I want to lose 15 pounds is a much better goal than I want to lose weight.
M: Measurable – You are able to measure 15 pounds using a scale.
A: Achievable – It is very possible to lose 15 pounds with a good diet and exercise but it might be harder to lose 150 pounds within the same time period, depending on body stature.
R: Relevant – Does it make sense to say you want to lose 150 pounds while you weigh 225 pounds already?
T: Time Specific – Do you want to lose the weight during the year, 2 years, or 2 weeks?
What goals are you going to strive for during 2015? How do you see your to do list for 2015 developing? I would love to hear.
Have an awesome week.
Kevin
Kevin MacDonald is the CEO of L6S Business Consulting Inc. L6S offers services in management consulting, Controller and CFO contracting, and lean management with either project work or teaching/mentoring of staff. Kevin holds his CMA accounting designation along with a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma.
Kevin is active in the community by volunteering for different groups, his condo board and donates platelets at the Canadian Blood Services clinics on a bi-weekly basis.
Feel free to contact Kevin at @L6SBC or www.putechnologies.tk
[1] http://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiamond/2013/01/01/just-8-of-people-achieve-their-new-years-resolutions-heres-how-they-did-it/ Dan Diamond, January 1, 2013
[2] http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/new-year-s-resolution
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal
Photo Credit: Steve Jurvetson
L6S Business Consulting Inc 