Goals and resolutions are not the same thing. Let’s look at their definitions as advertised via dictionary.com:
goal
–noun
1. the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.
2. the terminal point in a race.
res⋅o⋅lu⋅tion
–noun
1. a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group. Compare concurrent resolution, joint resolution.
2. a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
3. the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.
4. a solution, accommodation, or settling of a problem, controversy, etc.
What’s the difference?
When you resolve to do something, you are setting up an action that you will carry out without measurable results. For example: “I will exercise more this year,” “I will lose weight,” “I will spend more time at home,” etc., etc. A goal is the vessel by which you take a resolution and define a measurable outcome.
What this means to me:
Every new year, I define a set of goals for the year, both personally, and for my business. I express those goals for my business through an annual review of the business plan – a document defining my finite goals for the year, next three years, ten years, and life of the company. I define my personal goals here on this blog. All of the goals I set for myself follow a specific format.
Formatting a Goal
I use a simple acronym for defining my goals: SMART. Smart stands for:
- Simple
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Timelined
For instance, looking at my previous post: My Goals for 2009, we can pick out the goal: “Put $10,000 into my IRA.” This goal is simple because I only need to do one thing. Tracking it isn’t complicated. It is measurable. Each dollar I put in is a measurable unit. It’s attainable. I’m pretty sure I can do this if I hold myself to it. It’s realistic. I’m not putting more than I make into my IRA. It has a timeline, because these are my 2009 goals, I have until Dec. 31, 2009 to complete them.
Following Through
Goals are only useful if you follow through. I like to set goals far enough in advance and broad enough that if I fall short for a couple days, I can recover. I like to make “thermometers” to track how close I am to acheiving goals as well. I can organize all of my thermometers into a dashboard of sorts and rate myself on my progress. I can find places I fall short and work on improving those areas.
I hope this helps you turn your resolutions into goals and your goals into results.
Hey Everyone,