Ready to set your 2018 goals?

January ignites motivation due to resolutions and a fresh start to the new year. The problem is, January is only one month out of the whole year. Rather than focus on a resolution that may burn out within a few weeks, why don’t you focus on goals?

“Planning for Success: Goal Setting for Professional Growth” was an interactive seminar that taught the audience how to achieve goals rather just set them. The speaker utilized the acronym SMART to reference the components of a goal; S- specific, M- measurable, A-attainable, R- relevant, and T- time based. When you think about what your goal is, be specific and write it down. What do you want to accomplish with this goal? Be sure that the written goal is measurable; if you want to lose weight then write down exactly how much weight you want to lose. The goal must be attainable; be realistic and recognize that there may be barriers. Plan for those barriers, so when they appear you are prepared. Be relevant; know what tasks will correlate and help in achieving the goal. Write down a specific date as to when you want to hit your goal. If you have a deadline, you are more likely to succeed!

The speaker taught the audience that setting goals and achieving them is a system. Reflect on yourself and figure out what is important to you. Visualize your goals, write them down, and use the components to organize your thoughts. Review those goals periodically and track your progress. Achieving goals is possible for everyone, follow these guidelines and each day you will be closer to success!