Resolutions vs S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Don’t Let New Year’s Resolutions Get in the Way of Success
It happens every year – we make resolutions to help us accomplish the things we want to accomplish, only to end the month wondering what happened. The problem is often in the resolutions themselves – we put undue pressure on ourselves with unrealistic goals. If you’re making resolutions like, “I am going to lose weight this year,” or “I am going to get organized this year,” there is no way to really accomplish that. Instead of making resolutions that are undefined and hard to accomplish, think about making S.M.A.R.T. goals – things that you don’t have to start on January 1 but can do any time throughout the year.
What Are S.M.A.R.T. Goals?
According to Mind Tools, the strategy is “commonly attributed to Peter Drucker's Management by Objectives concept.” However, they explain, “The first known use of the term occurs in the November 1981 issue of Management Review by George T. Doran.” S.M.A.R.T. goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time bound
Why Are S.M.A.R.T. Goals Better than Resolutions?
Resolutions tend to be open-ended and difficult to accomplish. They are not strategic and don’t actually help inform what actions you’ll need to take to accomplish what you want. Resolutions roll off the tongue quite easily but don’t really require you to visualize the outcome or set up specific steps to get there. Resolutions are for fun; S.M.A.R.T. goals are for action.
How Do I Use S.M.A.R.T. Goals to Get Organized?
Let’s look at each piece of the strategy and how it can help.
Specific goals are easier to achieve.
Instead of making a New Year’s resolution to get organized, identify a part of your home that causes you stress and target it. It could be the dining room table piled with junk mail, the kids’ playroom, or your bedroom closet. But be specific about what you want to organize – and don’t just say your whole house. Once you’ve completed your first specific goal, you can make another one.
Measurable goals have an outcome you can see.
You can’t just say you want to organize your closet or your garage. Commit to something specific like, “I’m going to donate five jackets and three pairs of shoes to my local charity this month,” or, “I am going to sort through 50 hangers into keep, donate, and toss categories.”
Achievable goals are ones you can actually accomplish.
You can’t make a goal to donate three pairs of shoes if you only have two pairs. Make sure the goal you set is one you can – and want – to achieve.
Relevant goals are ones that actually make a difference in your life.
They are goals that, once completed, improve your life and living experience by saving you time or reducing your stress.
Time bound goals are goals you agree to achieve in a specific amount of time.
When you’re making organizing goals you can do this in two ways. You can say, “By the end of January, I will have donated five jackets and three pairs of shoes to my local charity.” But you can also say, “I am going to spend 5 minutes every morning sorting clothing into keep, donate, and toss categories.”
7 Tips to a New Year and New Approach to Organizing
Whether you make resolutions or not, choosing to be more organized this year is an exciting way to start the year. And to have success with being more organized, these seven tips can help:
Start with small projects. Small projects that you can complete in an hour or an afternoon when you have free time can help motivate you to do more without overwhelming you.
Don’t seek perfection. Being more organized is not about perfection; it’s about progress. Don’t be too hard on yourself and instead, reward what you’re able to do.
Make a dream board to stay motivated. A dream board can help you envision what you’re working toward and why.
10 minutes is better than nothing. Whether you sort out a shelf in your pantry while waiting for coffee to brew or clean out a drawer in the bathroom while you’re curling your hair, every little bit makes an impact.
Tell someone your goals! Telling someone and speaking your intentions out loud can help you keep your goals alive. You may even want to find a friend who also wants to get more organized and work together.
Write down your goals and post them somewhere conspicuous, like on your fridge.
Enlist your family to help, since they will benefit from a more organized house, too.
If you feel like you need a little extra help turning your dream of being more organized into actionable goals, don’t hesitate to get in touch.