When I tell you this year has flown by, it’s really an understatement. It’s amazing how quickly the days, weeks, and months just roll up and snatch you.
This is the time of year many of us get a bit stressed out. Personally, I begin to think about all that I haven’t accomplished yet. In addition, the holidays are right around the corner, and then more beating myself up for what I haven’t accomplished. Remember all those goals you wrote down on January 1?
With Labor Day behind us, the amount of time left this year for working on that list is minimal – 113 days to be exact. However, it’s not too late. It’s the perfect time to reflect on those goals you wrote down.
It’s so easy to just be done at this point. You might have already said to yourself, “I’ll just start fresh in the new year.” Actually, this is the time to dig deep and find that second wind. There is a lot that can be accomplished in a few short months.
What is still left on your plate to do this year? What can you work on that will make the biggest possible impact heading into 2019? Think S.M.A.R.T.
What are S.M.A.R.T. goals? It is a results-driven method of holding yourself accountable to goals that you can actually achieve. S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.
Specific: What exactly do you want to accomplish? Why? How will you accomplish it?
Instead of a vague goal like, “I want to be better at time management”, a specific goal would be, “For 30 minutes every Monday morning, I will use my planner to outline my schedule in advance for the rest of the week.” By phrasing it this way, you leave no wiggle room for vague interpretation.
Measurable: What is your desired outcome?
This step is important because if your goals aren’t measurable, you won’t be able to achieve them. For example, “writing more” is not measurable but “writing three blog posts a week” is.
Attainable: Now is the time to be brutally honest with yourself. If your goal cannot realistically be completed within 113 days, then break it up into actionable steps.
Instead of “launching a brand new product”, you may need to set the first initial step of “conducting consumer research to determine what features consumers would like to see in a new product.”
Relevant: Are your goals moving you toward an outcome that you want? Are they consistent?
Everything you do will not move you closer to your goals. For example, a goal of traveling the around the world is great, unless it conflicts with your larger goal of starting a business. You very well might be able to do both but it’s important to be intentional how you spend your time and which goal leads you in the direction you want.
Time: Those 365 days a year go by so fast! Now is the time to set deadlines. It’s the best possible way to guarantee you meet your goals.
Consider the work you need to do and set a goal that is realistic but will also create a sense of urgency. People fail to achieve their goals not because they don’t have the will, but because they don’t figure out the how. By approaching your goals this way, you will know exactly what you need to do to accomplish what you want by the end of the year.