By Ghadeer Habash, Internationally Certified Career Trainer

Many people make grandiose resolutions but never get far on following through. Perhaps you were one of them and have given up entirely on your dreams due to continuous past disappointments. My advice? Let’s stop making New Year’s resolutions and start setting SMART goals.

What’s SMART goal setting?

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timely

A total-life approach to goal setting

You can use the Wheel of Life to help you recognise where you currently stand from all important things in life. For example, getting in shape, if that is your goal, is not just about your physical or health goals, but could also affect your relationships, your work and your finances.

Consider taking the time to give yourself scores out of 10 on the most important elements in your life:

 
Business, career, studies

 
Finance, wealth

 
Health fitness

 
Social, friends

 
Family

 
Romance, love

 
Recreation, fun

 
Contribution

 
Personal Growth

 
Spiritual

 
Self-Image

For example, let’s look at Health, fitness. Give yourself a score that describes how involved you are in regular physical activity: on a scale from 0 to 10, zero means very weak involvement and 10 means very high involvement. If you go two to three times to the gym, for example, you can give yourself 8 or 9, while if you do not do any physical activity, you might get 1 or even 0! Low scores can give you a clear indication of where you currently stand and how far you are from where you aspire to be. Then comes planning when and how you are going to bridge the gap.

In your SMART goal-setting, let’s keep in mind:

 
Remembering that each person has different priorities

 
Avoiding talking about your goals in front of negative people who might put you down

 
Surrounding yourself with positive, optimistic people

 
Talking about your goals only with people who can support you

 
Avoiding stressing yourself with so many activities on the same day

 
Planning out your month, then distributing monthly activities week by week

 
Believing in yourself: you are your own change catalyst

 
Keeping in mind that everything is difficult at

       the beginning

 
Not compromising on priorities but also being flexible

What is really interesting about The Wheel of Life is that it helps us find our balance and manage our time effectively, which leads to self-fulfilment and happiness. Determination and persistence will definitely help you execute your plan! 

Happy New Year!

You can contact Habash at habashghadeer@gmail.com