Q: How do you eat an elephant?
A: One bite at a time!

This is a riddle that you have probably heard many times. Yet it bears repeating. New Year’s Day is a time to not only set goals but to get encouragement from words of wisdom, revisit lessons learned and to polish off the tools we already have on hand to help us accomplish those goals.

What’s the best way to set goals? While there are countless ways to set goals, a classic goal setting tool is the acronym SMART which means a goal should be:

S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Relevant
T – Time-bound

Specific
Be as specific as you can:
If you are thinking: “I want to spend more time with friends.” To be more specific you could declare: “I will plan an outing with my two closest friends one weekend each month in 2018.”

Measurable
That which gets measured gets done. Tracking your goal provides a record of your progress and planning regular increments of time to measure progress should be one of the first steps you take. It can be as fancy or as as simple as you like. If your goal is to take up jogging, you could wear a fitness tracker, but you might find it more fun to get a piece of paper and add a sticker to it for each mile that you log. Increments are the “bites.”

Attainable
Of course the sky’s the limit! However, you have determine what you need to do to get there. Prayer, manifesting and visualizing are all important to keep you focused. Along with those tools, your own action is the most valuable resource you have available. A lifelong wish to be a professional musician will not probably not come true on its own. But pairing a goal to log a certain number of hours to gain musical skill with a goal to contact a certain number of potential venues could lead to a paid performance opportunity.

Relevant
Why are you setting a goal? Why does it matter to you? Write it down. In fact, you should write at least two whys per goal! On days when you’re tired or tempted to forgo taking even the tiniest of baby steps toward your goal, read and re-read this list. If you are going through a slump or weary from rejection, your why can help your remember why you your goal matters, so you can keep going.

Timed
Just as measuring can help with accountability setting a deadline can be just as valuable in completing a goal. A timeline converts dreams into goals.

Hopefully, you are reminded of wisdom and something you’ve read here will propel you toward accomplishing your goals. I’ve set several goals, and I’d like to share one with you along with its SMART point.

(S) My goal is to read 100 books this year. (M) I can count the number of books and will keep a running log in my planner. (A) To attain this, I have blocked out time to read. I must read roughly a book every other week. (R) I’m doing this because I enjoy being transported or informed by books. I find it very satisfying to read. (T) My deadline is December 31, 2018.

Happy New Year. Without further ado, I will eat an elephant.

Photo by MarcoMaru at Morguefile.com