Are You Ready?

The New Year is quickly approaching. Are you ready for what is ahead? Have you prepared for what is coming next? Do you have a plan for what you want to see happen in the next 12 months? Are you ready for your next level? Is your expectation for greatness set on BLAST??? I am here to tell you that without a plan your New Year can turn out exactly as it did last year. Repeat… is that what you want? A plateau or consistent and predictable path is BORING!! Shake your life, expectation, and results up with a goals plan that works!If you are ready for something great in 2012 you have read the right email! First of all, you need to decide what it is you want to see in the New Year. Sit down, relax, and reflect. What went well in 2011 that you want to see accelerate in 2012? What would you never want to happen again? What is something new you would like to explore?

1. Write down all of your observations of 2011 and what you anticipate in 2012.2. Prioritize your goals and write down the top 3 goals you’d like to achieve in 2012. What are the 3 things you couldn’t live without achieving by 12/31/12?3. Make your goals SMART.

S – specific What area of your finances needs the most improvement (credit score, check register, budgeting, communications with spouse, etc)?

M – measurable How many times will you check your credit score this year to see the improvements? How often will you hold budget meetings with your spouse?

A – action-oriented Use action words to describe what you will DO. You can’t achieve a goal without movement.

R – realistic Have you created a goal that can truly be accomplished given your resources, talent, time, etc?

T – time-bound A goal is only a dream without a date associated with it. Make sure to give yourself a deadline for your goal.

SMART Goal Example: Create a household budget by the 28th of the each month for all of 2012.

This goal is specific because it refers only to creating a budget and nothing else. There will be 12 budgets created for the year so you can track the number of budgets created by 12/31/12. ‘Create’ is the action word used to describe what will be done. It is realistic because it doesn’t say the budgets all need to be created by 1/1/12. You aren’t pushing yourself too hard right away. It is time-bound because each of the budgets must be created by the 28th of each month.

Goals help you accomplish exactly what you want in the time you need it done. What are you waiting for? Set a SMART goal today and get moving!