How many times have you made resolutions in the past that didn’t stick? Studies show that most people give up on their resolutions within a few weeks.
Best Year Ever
Two years ago I wanted to make a change in my life but had failed at resolutions in the past. That’s when I came across Michal Hyatt’s Best Year Ever. Best Year Ever is a five-day course that provides you with an alternative to resolutions.
I tried it out and accomplished goals over the year that, in hindsight, improved my relationship with my family and church.
- Marital Goals: These goals included going on regular dates and taking four-weekend getaways with my wife.
- Parental Goals: I also wanted to spend intentional one-on-one time with each of my children. That year I took each kid on a father-son/father-daughter weekend.
- Spiritual Goals: I joined a couple of small groups at my church and conducted two ministries that year.
The methodology behind Best Year Ever can also work for you. Registration for Best Year Ever is closed right now, but I’ll provide you with a quick summary below.
Goals Not Resolutions
The difference maker with Best Year Ever is that you create goals and make a plan with a deadline. Resolutions made without a plan or a deadline are merely aspirations. Michael walks you through determining the Next Actions required to get started and gain momentum.
SMARTER Goals
Many of you have heard of making SMART goals. Best Year Ever takes it one step further and has you make SMARTER goals. SMARTER goals are spelled out below.
- Specific. Losing weight is not a specific goal. Losing 3% body fat by June 1st is specific.
- Measurable. There should be a metric to identify when the goal is attained.
- Actionable. The goal should start with an action verb.
- Realistic. Attaining a personal record on a triathlon is realistic for all. Winning a gold medal in the Olympics will be realistic for a select group.
- Time-bound. Assign a deadline to your goal.
- Exciting. The goal should be compelling and stretch you outside your comfort zone.
- Relevant. As Michael says, we are all in different seasons in our lives. Some goals will be relevant at only certain points of our lives.
Additional Considerations
In addition to making your goals SMARTER, there are a few other steps to ensuring you achieve your goals.
- Identify your Why. Identifying your motivations or reasons behind making your goals will help you when the going gets tough.
- Limit yourself to 7-10 goals maximum for the year.
- Share goals with a select group to help you with accountability.
- Not having everything planned out is OK. Identifying a couple Next Actions required is good enough to get started. The path will become clear as you gain momentum.
- Schedule time for your goals and put them on your calendar.
- Regularly review your goals. Weekly is recommended.
- Keep your goals visible to avoid the old adage “out of sight is out of mind.” Your computer, fridge, or bathroom mirror are good spots to keep your goals visible.
- Getting help is completely OK.
Some of My 2017 Goals
Despite going through the course a couple years ago, I use 5 days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve to go through the Best Year Ever process. My goals this year include starting a Venture Crew (co-ed Boy Scout organization focused on high adventure activities), taking my family on a European vacation to visit our extended family, and increasing subscribers and reach for this website.
Conclusion
Make 2017 a productive year by setting goals instead of resolutions. Make your goals SMART or SMARTER and start with the next actions required in order to gain momentum. Maintain momentum in achieving your goals by staying connected with your key motivations. I encourage you to give this process a shot as it can improve your year. It definitely improved mine.
Question: What goals will you set for yourself in 2017?
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Thanks Eric, and good luck with your Venturing Crew, they can be a lot of fun but can be very demanding on your time.
Thanks Justin.