Don’t Make Resolutions, Make Goals

Set goalsIt’s the start of a new year and everyone is talking about their new year’s resolutions. If you want to make a difference in your life, your business, your career, or anything, you’re better off forgetting the resolutions this year. Instead make goals and keep making them.

Resolutions are generally vague. Losing weight is the most common one. Make a specific goal instead. More importantly, forget these year-long ideas. Make a goal about what you will do this week. Then make a goal of what you will do next week and so on. You don’t have to make them all right now. You can set your goals each Sunday night for that week. Why should you this?

  • Making a goal includes a measurable outcome (lose 10 pounds, exercise for 20 minutes) Being able to measure it gives you something to aim for and keeps you motivated.
  • Setting goals each week forces you to face that goal. Setting something you will do in a year means for most people ignoring it until December by which time they’ve forgotten about it. You are also more likely to choose a goal that you can achieve instead of some pie in the sky wish.
  • People talk about the new year being a fresh start. By doing this you give yourself a fresh start every week.

Set incremental goals with measurable outcomes and deadlines and you will achieve more than with any resolution.