While I am trying to cling to 2016 (for obvious reasons), I understand that 2017 is upon us. This means it is time to start setting our goals for the New Year! Many of us have grown tired of hearing the same clichéd sayings from “New Year-New me” to “leaving that in the prior year.” These sayings happen because people make New Year’s resolutions and not Goals.

Resolutions are different from Goals. Resolutions are the commercial gimmicks used to get you to buy products and services that you won’t use (i.e., gym memberships). They are inauthentic and trivial at best. Goals are personal and thus more meaningful; they force us to go deeper. Goals are concrete, thoughtful, and rational. They are the plans of our life.

Before I give you my tips, I want to preface by saying this is what works for me. It may not work for you. So don’t try to force it to fit your life.

Step 1: Reflect and think

Those who read my blogs know I spend much time reflecting and thinking. This is the first step in goal setting. Reflect on life currently, for example; where you are at, where you thought you would be; criticisms made about your life from others; and how you feel about your life. Next, think about things you can change or want to improve. Please be mindful that you should be thoughtful and truthful during this process. It doesn’t matter what people say or how they make you feel. It matters what you want and where you see your life going. I know I said to reflect on the comments and questions you get. You should; criticism is the best source of self-improvement. However, you don’t need to change it if you are happy with who and where you are.

People tend to set themselves up for failure in this step. They are not truthful and thoughtful with themselves, or they set goals based on the expectations of others. Reflect and think about making yourself better. I find using the 3 H’s helpful when doing this type of reflection and thinking. The 3 H’s: healthy, happy, and honorable. When you are questioning a behavior to see if it needs to be changed or if you want to add it to your life. I ask myself if it is healthy (will it harm your well-being or add value to your life). Will it make you happy (will it make YOU happy)? Is it Honorable (legal, ethical, and morally sound)?

Step 2: Write it down!

You should only be reflecting and thinking in the first step. Step 2 is when you put it on paper. Write the things you want to add, delete, or change in your life. Briefly explain why you want it and how it will benefit you. Make it as detailed as possible; this will happen in the end. Write it all out and set it to the side (you will need it in step 3.

Step 3: Set SMART goals!

I learned about SMART goals in high school but never mastered the skill until college. Smart stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. You can learn more about SMART goals at http://topachievement.com/smart.html. Smart goals are meant to hold you accountable. They force you to be detailed in your planning and leave room to start again if you fail the first time. You should write out your SMART goals and the explanation you wrote down in step 2. I personally do this so that I can have the what and why to keep me motivated. The “what” is the SMART Goal. It tells you what exactly you are doing. The “why” is your explanation; it motivates you to keep moving forward. This is why you should have both of them written together.

Step 4: Don’t confuse year-long goals with long-term and short-term goals!

Goals for the year should be in the middle of short-term and long-term goals. After you create your SMART goals. You may identify that some of the goals are not SMART goals. They may be unrealistic or only take a few days to accomplish (Timely). This happens because we confuse year-long goals with long-term and short-term goals. Long-term goals are meant to be spread over a few years or even decades; they get you to a certain point in your life. While short-term goals are goals that can be finished in a few days or a few months. Personally, I like to have three of each. Sometimes a short-term goal can be a part of your year-long goals, and a year-long goal is a part of the long-term goal. You never want to confuse these goals as they may cause chaos. Make sure that your year-long goals are just that. Meant to be finished in a year. Sometimes, a year-long Goal can be a stepping stone for your long-term goal. This is great! Just as short-term goals can get you to your year-long goals.

Step 5: Set a goal that terrifies you!

I save this step for last because we don’t do this the first time. Most of our goals challenge us, but they don’t terrify us. We need to have at least one of our goals that accomplish this. Think of something you were always terrified of doing, and make it your Goal to face it. You must still go through the SMART steps, but make sure it is something that scares you. Aim to finish this Goal at the end of the year, so you can work your way up to it. It can be from confronting a fear of heights to public speaking. Whatever it is, set a goal and accomplish it.

I know this seems overwhelming. However, I will post a supplemental blog post as an example.

Until next time:

Let God’s light shine within and through you!