Last year I wrote a series of posts about my goals for the year. With the start of a new year, it is time for a fresh set of goals.
Goals, not Resolutions
I was introduced to the concept of setting real, measurable goals a few years ago - goals that are supposed to be more concrete than simple resolutions like "I want to lose weight". Goals rather are to be specific. The criteria we use come from here. Goals are supposed to:
- Be measurable
- Be specific
- Have a time limit attached to them
- Be your own (not spouses) goal
- Be written down
The goals are also supposed to balance out different aspects of your life : career, family, financial, intellectual, physical, social and spiritual.
Recap of 2014
So how did I do on my 2014 goals? The goals I made public were:
- Goal 1: Be An Encourager (social / spiritual)
- Goal 2: Run (physical)
- Goal 3: Mortgage Reduction (financial)
- Goal 4: Last Will (family / financial)
I had mixed results on my goals last year. I did a good job at the beginning of the year of finding ways to be an encourager. I let it slide as the year went on, but I feel like the intentional effort was worthwhile. I failed the greatest at running - I suffered an injury while training for a half marathon that prevented me from running for the rest of the year. Our mortgage was reduced by 32%, above our goal of 30%, and our Last Will has been written, but we have not notarized it yet or communicated what it says to our family.
2015
In the coming days, I will write about a few of my goals for 2015.
If you want to set goals for yourself, I suggest trying the Goal Tracker by Dave Ramsey. Another good framework is one by Dan Miller, and finally another by Zig Ziglar.