Conformity Magazine - January 2009 - (Page 6) Editor’s Note © Theo Gottwald | Dreamstime.com d Resolutions for the Challenging Year Ahead Editor’s Note: This is a slightly modified version of our annual column on goal setting, which we last published in December 2007. Given the challenges we will all face in the year ahead, we’ve chosen to reprint it here. I’m writing this month’s column a week or so before Christmas, knowing full well that another new year is just around the corner. Silently and imperceptibly, time passes with ever-increasing speed, and our unachieved dreams and hopes for the present year will soon be dreams deferred. When most people think about making New Year’s resolutions, the focus is usually on personal goals, like loosing weight, or finally getting around to cleaning out the basement. To be sure, these are worthwhile pursuits, and they can sometimes provide us with a sense of control in our often chaotic world. But perhaps one reason why our commitment to achieving these kind of goals often fades faster than the gray days of winter is because the conditions we’re trying to address are really larger than the individual symptoms on which we’ve chosen to focus. We make some progress in achieving our goals, but meanwhile the real issues remain unaddressed. We become discouraged because nothing really important has changed, and we give up. Or, we place all of our efforts in addressing a single dimension of a much larger challenge. Instead of looking at the bigger picture and identifying multiple benchmarks for success, we throw all of our energy into achieving a singular victory. When we lose our one battle, our whole faulty game plan goes down to defeat. For many of us, these frustrations can lead to disenchantment with the whole idea of making New Year’s resolutions, or even for setting any goals at all. But goal setting can be a tremendous driver to success and happiness, if we reframe our goals on the core issues that affect our lives and not merely the symptoms that manifest themselves. For example, the “goal” of loosing weight can be reframed as an overall commitment to personal health, with individualized attention to diet, exercise, reduction of unhealthy habits, and regular medical check-ups. Seen from this perspective, the morning weigh-in is just one measure of success, and temporary setbacks are offset by progress in other areas. Conformity JAnUAry 2009 So, if you haven’t formulated your New Year’s resolutions already, here are some suggestions on how to develop meaningful goals that can help you to achieve greater success and happiness in the year ahead: • Keep your list of goals short, with no more than four or five specific items. A longer list of goals will only intimidate you into giving up before you’ve even begun. • When formulating your goals, try to ensure that each one follows the principles embodied in the SMART acronym—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timed (i.e., scheduled). • Be sure to distinguish between the larger outcomes you wish to achieve, and the methods by which you measure success. In the example above, “losing weight” is a measure of success, but “improving personal health” is the larger outcome. • You improve your chances of success by identifying multiple sub-goals and measures of success for each goal that you identify. That way, you can handle setbacks and disappointments without jeopardizing everything. • Finally, once you’ve formulated your goals, write them down and put the written list in a place where you can see it. In that way, the list will serve as a continual reminder of what’s really important to you, and help you to chart your progress. As we anticipate the challenges, and the opportunities, that the New Year will present, we hope that your goals for 2009 will keep you on track, guide you through the rough patches ahead, and help you to achieve the professional success and personal happiness that you deserve! Bill von Achen Managing Editor
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