3 Steps to Achieving Your 2016 Goals

Tis the season for resolutions, plans and goals. Every January, we plan to “eat right,” “stop wasting money,” and “become more social.” Do any of these goals sound familiar? The reason no one achieves the goal of “eating right” is because it’s too vague. Here are three simple methods to establish and achieve your goals for 2016:

1. Establish SMART goals:

• Specific. Think about what you want to accomplish. For instance, instead of saying you want to increase your income, say you want to increase your income by $1,000 a month.

• Measurable. Someone who knows nothing about you should be able to look at the before and after and see results. Saying you want to improve your diet is not measurable, but saying that you want to eat five veggies a day is a measurable goal.

• Attainable. Your goal should require you to stretch, but it should also be within your grasp. If your goal is to be married with two children by December 31st, that goal is probably not attainable if there is no special someone in your life. However, if your goal is to exercise five days a week for 30 minutes each day, and you’re currently exercising three days a week, adding the extra two days is an attainable goal.

• Realistic. Is your goal consistent with your lifestyle and your resources? If your goal is to be self employed by the end of the year, but you have no business ideas or experience, your goal is probably not realistic. If you have been working on your side hustle for a couple of years, and you’ve replaced 35% of your income from your employer, making the leap into self-employment is a reasonable objective.

• Time bound. Your goal should have a deadline. “I’m going to lose 30 pounds” has no date attached to it. “I’ll lose 15 pounds by June 30th and another 15 by November 30th” is time bound.

Making your goals SMART forces you to be precise about what you plan to accomplish.

2. Chose the game changer. Which of your goals, when achieved, will completely change your life? Is it completing your degree, earning an extra $1,000 a month or losing 30 pounds? Make the goal that is most important your priority. When you’re pressed for time, focus on the priority goal.

3. Visualize. Take the time each day to imagine your life when the goal is complete. Are you walking across a stage receiving your degree? Are you closing on your new home? Is your credit score above 700? Visualization is a powerful tool, but you must consistently work on your goals. Just imagining them will not give you the results that you want.

Using these techniques will turbo-charge your ability to establish and accomplish your big goals in this New Year.