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.
