In January, many people set goals for themselves for the new year ahead, but more often than not, these goals are forgotten by the time February comes along. To make sure this doesn’t happen again this year, be smart about what goals you decide to set so you can see them through to the end result.

 The first step of goal setting, whether it’s short-term (something you want to get done in the next few days or weeks) or long-term (something you want to achieve in a year or more) is to look at the big picture. Decide what it is you want to ultimately achieve, without worrying about the details yet. For example, you might want to get your home organized. This is a major undertaking that must be carefully considered – just saying you want to get organized is not enough to fully realize your goal.

 A popular method for setting personal goals is the SMART method, which starts with setting specific goals. While it is important to have an overall idea of what you ultimately want to achieve, it is important to narrow this down to more manageable goals that have a specific focus. If you want to organize your home, you may want to focus on achieving organization in a single area of your home. Now, the insurmountable task of organizing your home in 2018, becomes organize the kitchen in February, and organize the office in March, and so on.  

 The next step to this process is measurable, because in order to clearly understand what it is you want to achieve, you must be able to determine that you have actually achieved it. Here, the goals you set become a bit more focused. Now that you have the organization narrowed down to a room of your home, you can further determine what you want to do to get organized. For example, you may want to set a goal to organize your kitchen so you can eliminate clutter in your cupboards and drawers, clean out old food items and condiments in your fridge, and get rid of the pile of unused cookbooks.

 Your goals must also be achievable. Think carefully and be honest with yourself when you are setting goals. Is this something that you are able and willing to dedicate the time to? Getting organized is a big commitment that not only involves spending the initial time to declutter, sort through, and put away – it involves changing your lifestyle and habits to ensure you stay organized in the long-term. Once you consider your goal of getting organized, this may need to be rethought if you aren’t going to be able to dedicate the time need to get organized.

 Not only do your goals have to be achievable, they also have to be realistic. If you’re busy at work, involved in a lot of evening and weekend activities, or have other events happening in your life, this may not be the time to focus on a home organization goal. Goal setting requires time and dedication, and although you may want to take the time for them, life may not always make it easy.

 Lastly, it is important to determine a time frame for when you want your goal to be achieved. As it is still the start of the new year, many people will be planning on what they can achieve within the year. It is important to be realistic with this step – wanting to achieve a goal within the year is different than actually being able to do it. Be practical, and give yourself ample time to achieve your goals. You will only end up disappointing yourself or causing unnecessary stress if you rush the process.

 Goal setting is not as easy as it may seem. It requires careful planning, time and dedication to the ultimate goal you want to achieve. Be specific with your goals, and make sure they are measurable so you can better determine if you are on the right track to achieving your goal. It is also important to make sure that your goals are achievable, realistic, and can be completed in a specified time frame. This process requires you to be honest with yourself, and really think about whether or not you are able to fully dedicate yourself to the task.

Get SMART! Achieving your dreams and aspirations for the future can be possible!