It’s that time of year when we have the opportunity to reflect on the past year and hit the reset button. A lot of us make New Year’s resolutions. So many of us make them that the Journal of Clinical Psychology has done a study on them. And what they’ve uncovered is pretty surprising and more than a little eye-opening: 46% of people who made New Year’s resolutions last year were successful. That’s right – 54% (more than half!) of us who resolved to do something in the new year weren’t successful in realizing those resolutions.

It doesn’t get much better for those who chose to set a specific goal for themselves, rather than make a New Year’s resolution. Only 4% of non-resolvers achieved their goals.

Fortunately, there is a simple method to help you stand apart from the rest and allow you not only reach but potentially crush your goals this year.

SMART Goals

When it comes to goal-setting, studies show you have a much greater chance of realizing that goal if it’s a SMART goal. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Paying off (or down) debt is a very popular goal. It’s actually in the list of top New Year’s resolutions and falls just behind “get healthier” as a New Year’s goal. But what does that really mean? How much debt? All of it? When will it be paid?

A SMART goal around debt can be as easy as “by the end of the year, I will pay off at least two more credit cards.” That’s a Specific goal that is Measurable (if only one card is paid off, the goal is not met. But if more than two cards are paid off, the goal is not just met – it’s crushed!). And a goal to pay off a couple of credit cards is totally doable (or Attainable), as long as you remain mindful of your goal. It’s also Relevant, seeing that it’s one of the top resolutions we as a society make every year. Finally, setting a time for when the goal will be accomplished (in this case, by the end of the year) makes it Time-bound.

If you would like some extra help with making some SMART goals, check out Dani’s 10 Step War On Debt Battle Plan. This step-by-step plan will help you remain focused as you wage your own WAR ON DEBT.

Wishing you great success all year long!
Laura
Danijohnson.com