How to set realistic New Year’s Resolutions

Are you the sort of person to set yourself New Year’s Resolutions? And if so, do you stick to them?

I remember always having the best intentions when it came to setting them, but was miffed at why I could never achieve them or stick to them. When I found out about SMART goals, it all made sense – in order for goals to be focused and achievable they need to be: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound. 

For instance, simply saying ‘I want to grow my business next year’ doesn’t align with any of the 5 SMART criteria, so you’re likely to feel that you haven’t achieved it, when you may well have actually done so. A more appropriate goal might be ‘I want to gain 30 new clients by the end of the year’ – this is much more achievable, because it is specific, it has a time frame, it’s relevant, you can measure it (you need 30 new clients) and it’s attainable.

I think the key to achieving your goals, no matter what they are, is to break them down into manageable chunks – this forces you to become more specific.  As a full-time Voice Over Artist, I find that setting goals just at the beginning of the year to be quite a large task – instead, I choose to set them throughout the year, as I think of them. 

I’d love to know what your goals are for next year. What are you doing to make sure you reach them? Feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you!