Career and Job Training Readiness Center

2009 is drawing to a close, and it’s time to take a look at accomplishments and make some plans for the coming year.  This year, instead of making New Year’s Resolutions that will be broken by the end of January, try setting goals.  There’s a world of difference psychologically.  Once your resolutions are broken, they are never the same.  You feel less adequate and it’s easier to break them again and again.  By mid-year for most of us, the resolutions are completely forgotten and life is still the same as it was the year before.

This year, change the pattern.  Instead of making a resolution, set a goal.  With goals, you can break them down into manageable steps and reward yourself for each achievement.  Even if you don’t accomplish the steps exactly on time, there’s still value in having those stepping stones to reach for on every new day.

The secret to writing good objectives for your goals is to make them SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.  When you write the objective, be very specific.  There should be no doubt about whether or not the task has been accomplished.  Make it measurable: count items or use percentages.  Achievable means that the matter is completely in your own hands.  For example, as a writer, I used to set goals about getting my work published.  One year I realized that the publication was not a matter that I was in charge of.  When I changed my goal to sending out the best queries I could muster, my publication rate went up and I felt more successful.  Relevant means that your goals and objectives must be meaningful to you.  Time-bound means that you set deadlines for yourself.

So give it a try!  Whatever changes you’re trying to make in your life, set some goals for the coming year.  Make sure each one is supported by SMART objectives, and you’ll be on your way to an outstanding 2010!

Happy New Year!