Making Resolutions a Reality

It's that time of the year again, time to make resolutions on the last day of the year. How many did you make last year? How many did you break before the 15th of January? I looked up some statistics on New Year's resolutions and they are harsh!

According to statisticbrain.com, 45% of Americans usually make resolutions but only 8% of people are successful in achieving them! Eight percent, let that sink in. That is a harsh and scary number! Why do New Year's resolutions fail? Many times it is because our goals are really out of our reach. If we set a goal to make a million dollars in the next year, but don't have a job or any current ambition, it is most likely that this goal will fail. New Year's resolutions don't have to fail if you put a little time and effort into them.

The first thing to think about with New Year's resolutions is that they are really goals. Somewhere along the way, our brains got hardwired to think that the beginning of the year/month/week is a good time to start a new goal. It's kind of a reset button that we each get. However, the 11:59 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. clock tick is not a magical time that all our dreams come true and our happily ever after begins. But it can be! If we play it S.M.A.R.T.!

 If we open our eyes and realize that New Year's resolutions are just goals wrapped up in a pretty package, we can get real with them and be one of the 8%. How? By following the S.M.A.R.T. system and breaking those goals down into manageable bites.

First we need to write the goal(s) down. 
A written goal is so much more serious than something floating around in our heads! When we write the goal down, we take it from a dream, to the first step of becoming a reality.

When writing the goal out, make sure you use the SMART steps to make it achievable.

• S-Specific. You need to make sure that you are specific about your goal. To just say, "I want to have more money in 2015" is not specific. If I give you $1, technically, you have achieved your goal as that was one dollar more than you already had. Instead, consider saying, "I want to end 2015 with $10,000 in savings." That is a specific goal as it states exactly what you want to accomplish.
• M-Measurable. Make your goal measurable by giving it a quantifiable designation. Instead of "I want to lose weight in 2015," make it "I will lose 25 pounds in 2015." This gives you a number to shoot for and to gauge your progress. Now you may think that "measurable" and "specific" are the same, but that is not always the case. I can be specific by stating that I want to purchase a candy apple red Jeep Wrangler by the end of 2015. However to make that goal truly measurable, I need to break it down a little further and figure out how much money I will need each month to reach that goal. Then I will know monthly whether I am on track to achieve it or I need to adjust my goal.
• A-Attainable. This is a hard one for most people! Your goal must be something that you can realistically achieve, but also something that will cause you to put effort into it and cause you to change. If you have been averaging sales of $1000/month in your business, a $12,000 year is not a good goal as you are already doing it. However, a million dollar year is probably not an attainable goal for most of us as well. If you don't make your goal attainable, you will lose interest in achieving it and then what is the purpose of that?
• R-Relevant. According to the dictionary, relevant means "having a significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand." I mentioned that the attainable step is hard for most people, I have to believe that this step is the one that a lot of people don't even consider! When you are making resolutions or goals, you have to consider where they fit into your life plan. If your plan is to become a leader in your profession, taking several courses in clown school because they look fun, probably aren't relevant unless you are a clown. "Relevant" makes you look at the big picture: what do you want at the end of 2015? 5 or 10 years down the road? If your goal doesn't fit into that plan, you have to ask yourself if it is really worth the time and effort it will require to attain it. If you aren't planning to entertain children in hospitals or at parties, is clown school really the best use of your time?
• T-Time-bound. I like that phrasing so much better than "timely." Many times I have seen this acronym used and the T is for timely. Timely is defined as "appropriate or adapted to the times or the occasion" which really is different than "time-bound" as that means to give a deadline. If you don't put a time limit on something, then you will not feel a sense of urgency to accomplish it. When you write your goals, make sure that you put an expiration date on it. When you say that "By the end of 2015, I will..." you have a specific timeframe to accomplish that goal and you can set-up checkpoints to gauge your progress toward achieving it.

Finally, make sure you are accountable for the goal.

If you are a self-starter and go-getter, this can be nothing more than posting that goal where you can see it daily and can keep track of your progress. However, if you are like the rest of us, you need a little nudge every now and then and an accountability partner or group is a great way to do this. Find someone to help cheer you on and hold you to it when the going gets rough. Get creative! This year, I have asked my siblings and parents to start a new family tradition by sharing 12 New Year's resolutions for 2015. The plan is to tackle at least 1 per month, but realizing some will take multiple months. Not all of us are on Facebook (or online for that matter!) so instead of doing a group on Facebook (my preferred way to connect with specific groups), I suggested that I can do a monthly family newsletter so we can celebrate successes, keep goals fresh in our minds, and pay attention to areas we need to work on. We plan to get together tomorrow at our annual party to hash out more details. If worked at consistently, this can not only change individuals, but strengthen family bonds and that is what we Proverbs women are all about!   

Want more ideas to help you with goals and planning? Be sure to check out one of my previous posts on breaking bad habits. Or if you are a Pinterest addict like me, check out my change board:

Follow Karen's board Change: Life, Habits, and Growth on Pinterest.

Want a cool t-shirt to let everyone know you are a part of the 8% while helping my family out during my husband's recovery? Check out our booster to place your order by January 16th. 5 colors available!

Until next year... <3 ya all!