Goals for 2008
I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Over the past several days, like many of you, I’ve been evaluating 2007 and thinking about the upcoming new year and how I can make it better than last year.
I’ve always been a fan of S.M.A.R.T. Goals. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for:
Specific - Not “I want to lose weight.” But, “I want to weigh 190 pounds.”
Measurable – “I will write 1000 words per day, 5 days a week.” This is easily measured.
Attainable – This one is tricky. If I know for sure that a goal is “attainable,” I’m not really motivated to attempt it. I think goals should make you stretch. They should challenge you. The possibility of failure is a great motivator. Don’t be afraid to take a risk.
Realistic – This is another tricky one. I like to think that if someone else has accomplished my goal, that I can too. All I have to do is follow in his or her footsteps. Setting a goal that you know you can reach sets you up for procrastination. On the other hand, if you set the bar too high, you might get discouraged and not even begin. For example, if you earned $30,000 last year, it probably wouldn’t be very realistic to set a goal to earn $500,000 this year.
Timely – Your goal should have a deadline. Deadlines are powerful motivators. Don’t believe me? Invite your in-laws over for dinner tonight and see how fast your house gets cleaned! Keep in mind that as you pursue your goals “life happens” and you will have setbacks. Be flexible in setting your deadlines.
In fact, I believe S.M.A.R.T. Goals are such a powerful tool for success, that I’m teaching my children to set them for themselves. I believe it’s a skill that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
One of the most motivating articles I’ve recently read on goal setting is from Christine OKelly over at Self Made Chick entitled How to Achieve Ridiculous Goals. In it she recommends “Don’t Be Wimpy When Setting Goals.” She goes on to explain:
I am convinced, based on some of my experiences, that the size of the goal is almost irrelevant. Whether you set a goal to do $100,000 a year in business or $1 million in business, you are capable of achieving that goal you set if you adamantly [my emphasis] follow some certain action processes.
Is it humanly possible to make $1 million in a year? Of course. So why wouldn’t you be able to do it? If someone can, you certainly can too. It’s just a matter of figuring out a way to do it.
So set challenging goals.
Motivational speaker and author, Tony Robbins points out that two things motivate people: pleasure and pain. Often, we’ll do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. In a September 1990, “Success Magazine” article titled, “The Science of Success,” Harvey Cook says that he rewards himself for success and penalizes himself for failure. So, as Self Made Chick adds, “Create Negative Consequences for Failure.”
Without negative consequences it is easier to fail. To put myself on the record,
My 9 Ridiculous Writing Goals for 2008
- 1.) Write and Publish a Cookbook.
2.) Finish the 2 novels that I started in 2007.
“Timeless Promise”
“The 5-Minute Writer”
3.) Successfully complete NaNoWriMo 2008. (That will be 3 novels.)
4.) Write and have a play produced.
5.) Write a Blog post 5 days per week.
6.) Read 1 book per week.
7.) Attend at least 2 writer’s conferences.
8.) Start a local writer’s group.
9.) And, the grand-daddy of them all… Earn $100,000 from my writing.
I will be posting regular updates on my progress.
Before I close, I need your help. I know these are lofty goals and I risk losing your respect if I should fail. But I am having problems coming up with additional negative consequences. What should my negative consequences be if I fail? Let me know in a comment.
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2 Responses to “Goals for 2008”
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Are you sure you are motivated by consequences? I find some people are, but others are motivated by rewards (this is the carrot vs. the stick debate).
In either case, what counts as a consequence or a reward for you? If I say, hey, charge yourself $1,000 for each unattained ridiculous writing goal, maybe that is not enough of a consequence.
Likewise, i f I suggest treating yourself to a full week at the Sundance Film Festival if you accomplish all of the goals, that might not mean anything to you.
I guess it boils down to this…what is important? Use that for the motivator:)
Nice to meet you btw:)
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