Resolutions or Goals?

I’ve never been a real fan of  New Years Resolutions.  Likely because I am not a fan of making promises that I can’t, or won’t, keep.  For the last few years, the only resolution that I have made is to not make resolutions.  That is one that I HAVE kept.

While I don’t care for “New Years Resolutions” per se, I AM a fan of  goal setting.  I just don’t think that goal setting should be relegated to one day a year.  KWIM?  Setting goals gives you something to work toward, and the motivation to do the work. I think that it is important to set both short and long term goals.  For example, my husband and I want to save enough to retire on.  That is a long term goal, as we are no where near retirement age.  In order to do that, we need to  live below our means and stick to a budget.  Our budget is a short term goal, and is reavaluated several times a year.

Goals should be SMART. 

By that, I mean goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-targeted.  

Saying I want to improve my site is satisfying.  Saying I want to increase the revenue I earn through my site is succinct.  Saying I want to earn a specific amount monthly by the end of 2012 is SMART.   

When I read Achieve Anything in Just One Year, by Jason Harvey, in the end of 2010 (you can read my review here), I was reminded of the importance of writing my goals down.  I did write some of them down, and others I did not.  Guess what.  The ones I wrote down, I managed to achieve.  The ones I didn’t?  Well, you know the old saying, “Aim at nothing and you will hit it every time”?  Yup.

One of the goals that I did accomplish in 2011 was that I started using a daily planner again.  I started off  with a no-name planner, but it didn’t work out.  Years ago, when I first started using a planner, I used a Franklin-Covey and it just ruined me for horizontally oriented planners.   I have to have my days in vertical columns, thank you.   If you knew me, you would understand what using a daily planner means for me.  I am a Sanguine-Choleric.   As far as personality types go, that means I can be VERY forgetful and somewhat disorganized.  Yes, a planner is definitely needed!  Remembering where I put the planner is key.

I will be spending some time in the first week of January doing some goal setting.  And yes, I am writing that in my planner.  Once I find it.

One of the goals that I have set for 2012 is a revamp of this site, which I have Greg working on now. 

I will also be contemplating goals for other aspects of my life.  Homemaking.  Homeschooling.  Reading.  Writing.  Church involvement.  This site.  Fitness.  Health.  You get the picture.  

Are you a resolution maker?  A goal setter? Both?

 How much time do you spend setting goals?  How often do you review them and/or revamp them?  Have you set your goals for 2012 yet?