Resolutions: Make Your Goals SMARTER (3)
In this blog series, we have been discussing how to rescue our dreams from the fog by making our goals SMARTER. Let’s discuss the final three characteristics necessary for bringing clarity to your resolutions.
• Time-bound
Good goals have timelines. They come with a deadline. Financial expert, Dave Ramsey, says a goal without a deadline is just a dream.
“I need to lose 20 pounds,” is a bad goal. Do you mean over the course of your life?
How about by the end of March? Now that’s a good goal.
I once had the privilege of touring the Chicago Board of Trade. The last minute before the closing bell is mayhem. Why? Because time is running out. There’s a sense of urgency. Deals must be made.
Deadlines create urgency. Urgency gets us moving forward.
• Exciting
Do your goals grip you? Are you excited to pursue them?
Every goal has what has been called the “messy middle.” After the honeymoon season wanes and you reach a few speed bumps in the pursuit of your goal, you’ll be tempted to throw in the towel.
What pushes you over the hump? Getting re-connected with the excitement of the original vision. Make sure your goals excite you!
• Relevant
Relevant goals are appropriate for the season you are in. Goals aren’t like Oreo cookies. When you open a package all the cookies are identical. Thankfully, human beings aren’t like Oreos!
We are all in different seasons of our lives.
Marion and I used to spend a couple of weeks each year leading teams on the mission field. We loved taking our children with us. It worked great when we had two kids. Not so great with 4 kids. And incredibly challenging with 8 children. It wasn’t the right season. Our focus needed to shift to the home front. We shifted our attention to making maximum impact in the lives of our children. We didn’t lose our passion for the nations. We were just entering a different season with new opportunities.
Know the season of life you are currently in and establish your goals accordingly.
Aww stink, I like Oreo cookies!
I set goals often. Once a month, my wife and I sit down and outline what we call “Immediate Goals’ for that particular month. Over the grand scheme of things, we have three short, medium, and long-term goals of significant definition, but pieces of their composition can be achieved through our ‘Immediate’ monthly goals. I say all of that to express an overarching need for management. And, consider the play on words. Ensure your goals go full T.E.R.M.
Wise words, Dr. Johnson. Thank you for your post.
Michael, I like your idea of immediate goals. Management is critical to successfully attaining goals. We must review, adjust and adapt or we forget, fall and fail! Thanks for your feedback! Have a great year!