Wait! Let me guess… You’re planning for
2016, right? Or you are just being merry
without giving it a thought? Well, I get it. It’s
the holidays and it is needed. I’m celebrating
too.
2016 is almost here and the resolutions and
goals will start rolling in. But permit me to tell
you this:
You don’t need new year resolutions!
They’re simply traditions that do not amount
to something great after 2 to 3 months. And
they’re for those you need to get over a
struggle. A research at the University of
Scranton suggests that only 8% of people
achieve their New Year resolutions and goals.
What you need is to plan your goals
beforehand; relevant goals that can be
achieved. Most people fail at goal-
setting and consequently fail at achieving
their goals because the foundation of such
goals isn’t even right. After the Christmas
celebrations, spend the remaining days of the
year planning your goals. Here are the 3
Sharp ways you can set and achieve your
goals in 2016.
Make it SMART
Your goals should be S=Specific M=Measurable
A=Action-Oriented R=Relevant T=Time-Bound.
Be specific; do not have a generic goal like ‘I
plan to be better next year’ but at what? It’s
better to say ‘I plan to be better at cooking/
being a father/mathematics/public speaking/
playing the keyboard etc
Make it Measurable. How do you know you
have achieved success or you are failing at it.
Having a goal like ‘I plan to be good and
make people love me’ may not really cut it.
How can you measure the love (or hatred) of
‘people’ for you?
Also, make sure your goals are Relevant and
Time-Bound and packaged with some action.
Give yourself a timeline e.g ‘Before the middle
of January, I plan to shoot my first movie’. Let
it be relevant to something e.g your career
and make it actionable (what you will do to
achieve it)
Make it Simple
The simpler, the better. Experts are of the
opinion that people use the New Year
opportunity to list a huge number of goals
forgetting that other priorities will rise along
the way. Keep it simple. It is more sensible to
start small and set attainable goals but
visualize the larger picture, the bigger dream.
Always Visualize and Believe it
Never loose your dreams or yourself in the
euphoria of successes that will come your way
in the new year. Have your goals written
down and always believe it even when you
fail at first attempt. A mental picture of what
you want, where you’re going, what you want
to achieve and even what you do not want to
come your way keeps you on track especially
when people who do not believe in you talk
you down!
Failing to plan is the first step at planning to
fail. You succeed: people will be happy and
celebrate with you. You fail: it is all your fault
and nobody will care to know what you went
through that made you fail. It’s your decision.
Make those goals of yours SMART, Simple and
give it a Mental Face.
Happy New Year in Advance!
