Did anyone else laugh out loud at the AllState commercial when their signature character, "Mayhem", breaks his New Year's Resolution to be helpful because he realizes that everyone else broke theirs a week and a half in? I thought it was hilarious, and let's be honest, those commercials are way better when he is wrecking havoc anyway.
But it did get me thinking... how are you all doing on the resolutions that you set for this year? It's easy the first couple of weeks to feel motivated to the cause you have set before you, but now that we are heading into the 3rd and 4th week those goals that you set may be starting to lose their luster and your old ways might be whispering sweet nothings into your ear.
Often when we set goals they are abstract, or conceptual, which on one hand is great - because normally this means it is a big goal that you are reaching towards. However, when your goals are vague, this ends up working against you in the long run. It is harder to obtain a goal when there are no clear parameters to abide by. Think of a football game (sigh... just two more weeks of football left! So sad!). Each game there is a clear objective to win. This is done with executing specific plays based on their opponent's weaknesses. The more they prepare their game plan, the higher likelihood of success they have.
Your own goals should be similar. If a football team went out on the field knowing nothing about their opponent, or having no plan of attack, they are going to be a mess out on the field, and it would only be from a stroke of luck that they might win the game.
The acronym S.M.A.R.T. (outlined below) is a great template to use when setting your goals.
When following these guidelines you are able to track your progress and it makes your goals a little more thoughtful as to how they fall into your life as a whole.
I figure if you are going to set goals, why not take the steps to really accomplish them this year? Take a moment to analyze your goals for this year (or take a minute to set a few!) and apply the S.M.A.R.T. template to them.
I love setting New Year's Resolutions or goals for the year. I feel like having something to work towards reminds us that we can always be better in some aspect of our lives and we should never stop growing and learning. Let's set ourselves up for success and crush those goals this year!
Make 2018 your best year yet! You can. And you will.