Setting goals in the New Year

I refuse to call them “New Year’s Resolutions,” because there is no one who wakes up on January 1st and is successful at changing their habits that fast.

So, my BFF and I “set goals” for the new year. We each make a list of our personal and our professional goals. We start talking about them around Christmas and I am hoping we will have a chance to share our goals for 2011 with each other by the end of this week.

I find that by sharing my goals with someone I trust and getting their input and feedback, I am more engaged in the process.

She tells me when I’m being too optimistic with them — I am a chronically overly optimistic person — and when I am not challenging myself enough.

And part of our goal-setting process is that we touch base on them every month or so.

Actually, one of the keys to success of our goal-setting process is that we both resolve to make our goals S.M.A.R.T.:

S: Specific
M: Measurable
A: Achievable
R: Realistic
T: With a timetable

Setting goals isn’t for everyone. Some people don’t like to make the commitment. Some people don’t like to write them down, and for sure they don’t want to share them with anyone.

When I walked into my daughter’s bedroom this weekend, I noticed a checkerboard of Post-it notes on her wall. Each note said things like: Exercise twice a week. Stay positive. Eat healthy.

I asked her if they were her goals. She told me no, they were her reminders.

So, this is YOUR reminder.

Think about it.
Karen