Last year was the first time that I actually wrote down my goals for the forthcoming year. Previously I knew in my head what I wanted to achieve, but that was about it. It was a positive step forward to write them down but when it came time to reviewthem through out the year, I soon came to realise some of my goals where difficult to measure. Setting goals was something that I did a lot of in my corporate, pre-kid life, so this year I applied a framework that I used then to my personal goals.
Setting SMART Goals for 2011
For 2011, I have taken the SMART approach to determining my goals:
Specific – I needed to focus in my broad ideas on things that I wanted to achieve. They needed to be clear and definitive in their meaning.
Measurable – General statements like “learn to say no” was one of the goals that I had last year. While that is what I have wanted to do, so I don’t end up too busy, how can I measure that? Changing the goal to something that is specific and measurable like “Complete Project A and B, before taking on any new commitments.” allows me to measure how I have progressed with this goal.
Attainable – The goal needs to take into account my current workload and known events for the oncoming year. They need to challenge me out of my comfort zone, but they are not set so high, that from day one I feel that I can’t meet them.
Realistic – I need to set goals that reflects my ability, time restraints and available funds.
Time Bound – Most of the goals are for the year period, but some of them may need more specific time frames e.g. by the first quarter.
So this is what my goals for 2011 look like:
| 10 Goals for 2011 | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Launch new blog and realaunch two smaller ones, together by end of March. |
| 2. | Go to the gym 4 - 5 times a week. |
| 3. | Go to the Aussie Bloggers Conference in Sydney, on March 19. |
| 4. | See a band once a quarter with my friends. |
| 5. | Go out to dinner once a quarter with the family. |
| 6. | Take the family bush walking twice through out the year. |
| 7. | Have a weekend away with my partner and I (no kids!) by May. |
| 8. | Host one dinner party for 8 by the end of the year. |
| 9. | Donate food to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre quarterly. |
| 10. | Visit or call our Nana’s monthly. |
What are your goals for 2011?