Starting the Year Right

The past two days have been really hectic as I try to juggle my different roles in life. Plus my baby Drew is not feeling feel. I guess it’s teething problems plus the immunization. Seeing Drew cranky is very rare as this is one very happy baby. Now, on the eve of his 4th month, he is crying his lungs out to let the entire neighborhood know that the price is not his usual self.

Earlier, I stumbled upon a blog post that had me thinking and after reading and analyzing the article, I realized that the writer is right. (Original article can be found here) Goals fail because we have not been specific with them.

I’d like to share this with you….

Five Signs That Your Goals Are Bound For Failure

What are your goals for this year?
What are the things you want to achieve in your career? in your finances? in your personal relationships?
I surveyed my friends and most of them want to save more money, lose some weight and start a small business.
A few did good by writing down their goals and making a vision board. However, I told them that crossing the “finish line” will take more effort than that.
In fact, I said that I don’t recommend setting such “impossible” goals because they’re bound to fail.
Why? Why do I think that those are impossible goals?
They are impossible… not because they’re unrealistic as traveling back through time – but simply because they have these five tell-tale signs that they’re most likely come up short in accomplishing them.
Evaluate your own life goals and see if yours are also “impossible”.

Sign #1: Your goals are vague or too broad.
Save more money, lose some weight, start a small business – all of these goals are ambiguous and almost meaningless.
Instead, make it your goal to have P200,000 in your savings account, go down to 140 lbs, or franchise a food cart business. Be specific with your goals.
Sign #2: It’s hard to measure how far away you are from achieving your goals.
So your goal is to save more money, but how do you exactly know you’ve become successful at saving more money? Again, this is the problem with having a goal not specific enough.
When your goal is to have P200,000 in your savings account, then you’ll know you’re already 10% done when you see P20,000 in your bank statement, and half-way done when there’s a cool hundred there. Make your goals measurable.
Sign #3: Your goals are too hard to attain.
So your goal is to get your weight down to 140 lbs, which is a nice, specific and measurable goal. But if you’re a 200-pound guy working as a chef, then that goal might be a little too grand for now.
Be realistic and practical about your situation. Why not make it your goal to be 170 lbs first. This way, it’s easier, less overwhelming and more manageable to achieve. Make your goals attainable.

Sign #4: Your goals do not inspire you.
Starting a business, whether your own or a franchise, requires hard work and focus. You may be able to afford that food cart franchise, but does that kind of business excite you?
If your passion is photography, then it may be more relevant to put up a business in that niche. Ask yourself… is this goal worth my time? Will achieving this goal give me self-fulfillment?
Sign #5: Your goals do not have a deadline.
Have P200,000 in your savings account by December 31, weigh down to 170 lbs by September 1, schedule the grand opening of your photo studio business by August 8 – this is how you make your goals time-bound.
It’s important that you always have a target date for your goals because it gives you a sense of commitment. They become more real to you and serves as a motivation to make progress every day and succeed.
In summary, when setting any kind of goal, always make sure that you’re being S.M.A.R.T. about it. Your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound.

If you have already set your goals then now is the time for you to make adjustments to them so that achieving them would not be a problem.