What is the difference between goals and resolutions?
First off, let’s get some clarity. A lot of people enter the New Year making the mistake of thinking resolutions and goals are the same thing when in fact those words are not interchangeable.
Resolutions are promises you make to yourself. Simply put, when you make a resolution you are stating your intentions.
- I’m going to work out more.
- I’m going to grow my business.
- I’m going to be more productive.
- I’m going to spend more time with family and friends.
Goals are things you want to accomplish and are more specific.
- I’m going to work out 3 days a week
- I’m going to hire 2 employees
- I’m going to complete 4 projects in 6 months
Now to be perfectly clear, I don’t think there is anything wrong with having resolutions. In many ways, goals can actually be the steps you need to take to achieve your resolution. I just think that unless you set goals to help you get there, you might be setting yourself up for disappointment.
Be SMART with your goals
The best goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) goals. SMART goals help focus your efforts and increase the chances of achieving success or completion.
Specific – Your goal should have a focus and be specific or else you won’t be motivated to achieve it. Use the five “Ws to help narrow it down.
– What do I want to accomplish?
– Why is this goal important?
– Who is involved?
– Where is it located?
– Which resources or limits are involved?
Measurable – How much have you done? How close are you? How far are you? You need to be able to track your progress to stay motivated.
Attainable – Is your goal reasonable? It should be outside of your comfort zone so you can grow but still remain possible. Making unattainable goals is a major factor in the reason a lot of people fail when it comes to resolutions.
Relevant – Does your goal make sense to you? Is this the right time? Will it make a difference in your life?
Time-Bound – When tasks and goals have deadlines they are easier to prioritize. While most people work better under pressure it is important to give yourself a realistic timeframe so that you don’t get overwhelmed or give up.
Think about the things you’d like to achieve this year in your personal life and business. Set some SMART goals and make sure to write them down. To help make things easier below is a link to a free goal setting worksheet to help you along.
Increase your chances of success
As we all know, resolutions and goals can be difficult to achieve. Here are some tips that can help you on your road to success.
Share your goals
It is all too easy to give up on your goals if you’re the only one that knows about it. Tell someone you trust, or tell everyone about it. Sharing your goal makes you accountable.
Find Support
Find a group of people that will help support you on accomplishing your goals and don’t be afraid to ask for help. There is no rule that says you have to do it all on your own.
Be flexible
If you didn’t know it before then living in 2020 should have proved to you that life has a habit of throwing curveballs! Be willing to accept changes that may occur or alter the original plan.
Celebrate milestones
When you achieve a goal, celebrate it! Even if it is just doing a happy dance in your living room or buying yourself a fancy dinner. Your accomplishments deserve recognition.
Now go ahead and set some goals!
