Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Navigating the Fog of 2014

Have you set any goals for 2014?  I’m not talking New Year’s resolutions, already buried in the dusty repository in your mind labeled “Good Intentions”.

I’m talking about REAL, honest to goodness goals.

What’s the difference?

Well, in my opinion, a resolution is an ideal we’d like to reach that rarely has any logical steps for achievement attached to it.

A goal, on the other hand, is a well-defined objective with a step by step road map of how to get there within a specific time frame. 

If you read any material on goal setting you’re quickly introduced to S.M.A.R.T. goals. 

S – specific – goals need to be well-defined

M – measurable – set a quantifiable measurement so you know when you achieve your goal

A – achievable – don’t set yourself up for failure.  Be realistic when setting your goal.

R – relevant – make your goal relevant to your life and what YOU personally want to accomplish

T – timely – give yourself a specific time frame to reach your goal

Why set goals? 

Starting off the year without a goal is like driving after dark in “pea soup” fog.  You creep forward a fraction of a kilometer at a time, eyes desperate to pierce the thick cloud that blinds you with reflected brilliance from your headlights.  It’s a slow crawl to your destination…if you get there at all.

Without a goal to work towards you’re driving blind in the fog that is 2014.  Life comes at you fast and furious, and if you don’t define goals early on, you find yourself sitting in the cold, dark belly of December wondering where time went.

I know we’re already playing peek-a-boo with March, but it’s not too late to set your goals.  You still have ten months to make them reality.  A lot can happen in ten months. 

Not sure what to work towards? 

I like to set four different types of goals…

Personal – by the end of 2014 I want to migrate my blog to a self-hosted website and have compiled two e-books in pdf format from previous blog posts – one devotional book, and one of blog recipes.

Fitness – I want to run 5 km in 30 minutes.

Professional – by the end of 2014 I want to have a stable team of six sales people billing at goal level and I want to have read (or attended) a minimum of three different books (or workshops) that will equip me to become a better manager.

Spiritual – I want to spend time reading the Bible and praying EVERY day.  It doesn’t have to be a long time, but it has to be dedicated time when I am focused ONLY on God.

Goals don’t have to be monumental.  They don’t have to rock the world.  They don’t even have to shake your neighborhood.  They just need to be something important to you.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Have you set goals for 2014?  If not, why not?  Set them now.

Share your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.

No comments: