Have you ever planned to achieve great things during the year only to be sidelined a few months later?

We've probably all done it at some point. That's why we see so many #newyearsfail posts a few weeks into January.

So how do we fix it?

We Need to Write S.M.A.R.T. Goals

With just a few simple adjustments you'll be well on your way to accomplishing your goals.

S - Specific

The more specific you are with your goals, the easier it will be to determine the action steps necessary to achieve them. Rather than saying, "I want to exercise more." a specific goal would be, "I want to walk 45 minutes, 3 times a week at 5:30 in the morning."

M - Measurable

How will you measure your progress? If you can't measure your progress you will never know if you have reached your goal. How far do you want to run? How much money do you want to save? How much weight do you want to lose?

A - Actionable

Goals should be designed to set you up for specific action steps. What actions will help you achieve your goal? If you can't figure that out then your goal isn't specific enough. I want to save money isn't a goal. If you know that you want to save $100 every week then you can set up an automatic draft.

R - Relevant

Your goals need to fit into your current season of life, mesh with your values and compliment the other areas of your life. Exercising 5 days a week and having dinner with friends every weekend may have been achievable at one point in life but not appropriate for your current season.

T - Time Sensitive

Your goals should have a completion date. Think of it as a finish line. Knowing whether you are running a marathon or a sprint helps you determine your pace & defines how you run the race.

If they are long goals (longer than 3 months) you will want to choose some milestone dates and achievements along the way. Your goals should have staggered deadlines throughout the year (everything doesn't need a deadline of December 31st).

Your goals should be clear & detailed but not complicated.

The more detailed you can be with what you will achieve, how you will achieve it and when it will be achieved, the easier it will be to know exactly what you have to do to reach your goals.

Y'all have a great week!

     Renee'