Happy New Year 2020!!

Happy New Year!!  Now that the fireworks and champagne flow have subsided (hopefully), it’s time to get to work!  Did you make your list of 2020 Resolutions?  Do they sound something like “Lose weight”, “Be happier”,” Spend more time with family? “and 30 other things?  If they do, chances are you’ve been setting the same goals year after year but haven’t seen the success you dream of.

Well, this year, let’s take the next step and make your resolutions work for you and your business by following these 3 easy steps:

1. Follow the Law of 3’s
2. Set RESOLUTIONS but also SMART OBJECTIVES
3. Keep your eye on the ball every day

First, take that long list of resolutions and boil them down to 3.  Having too many goals is the same as having none.  Yup, it may be hard but choose 3 and 3 only, but really take some time and think about what is most important to you.  We’ll wait.  🙂

Good job getting your 3!  Now, let’s take the next step and also set SMART objectives.

What’s the difference between a resolution and a SMART objective you ask?  Here’s the deal.  resolutions are those lofty visions (usually don’ts) that set your general direction.  If you yourself were a business, they would be like your mission statement.  “We want to be environmentally friendly”.  “We are globally focused”, etc.  They are good for setting direction but they’re not going to get you there.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-based and Time-bound.  SMART Objectives answer the questions of how, when and why.  So let’s start turning those lofty goals into meaningful objectives by answering the question – –What does that mean TODAY? for each one.

So, your resolution might be “Eat Healthier” or “Don’t eat so much junk food” It’s a pretty good bet that sometime TODAY you’re going to be hungry.  Does “healthier” mean you go out to a local farm to table restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner today?

Unless one of your other goals is to make the restaurant owner very rich, maybe this isn’t the way to go.

Do you jump in a car and buy ingredients from the local supermarket and cook every meal from scratch?  Buy a meal service like Blue Apron to send you meal ingredients?  Buy a whole bunch of Healthy Choice frozen meals and nuke one for every meal?  The choices are endless and completely up to you.

Also, what defines “healthy”?  Baking your French fries and onion rings instead of deep frying? Choosing the diet cranberry juice in your thrice daily Cosmo instead of regular?   Decisions. Decisions.

Healthy vs Unhealthy

Let’s use the SMART framework and expand your  “Eat Healthier” goal.  WHY do you want to eat healthier?  Do you want to lose weight, do you have a specific medical condition you want to manage?  Let’s follow our rule of 3 and set specific, measurable, achievable, results-based, and time-bound  objectives.

GOAL:  EAT HEALTHIER

SMART OBJECTIVES:

1. Cook dinner using fresh ingredients, 5 of 7 days each week

2. Pack lunch (including fresh salad) instead of buying 3 of 5 workdays each week

3. Keep my calorie count below 1500 calories daily

See the difference? Our objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented and time bound.  We can also now see whether or not we have been successful, which leads us to our third step – Keep your eye on the ball every day.

Create a spreadsheet, stick post-it notes on your mirror, keep a list electronically but track your progress at least every week.  Doesn’t matter what tool you use to track it as long as you track it! The more you succeed, the more you’ll hold to your objectives and by this time next year, you’ll be shouting WIN!