The Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting - Just In Time For Your New Years Resolution!

Every year we all set a New Years Resolution. Here is an article that we found at mindtools.com, that lays out the Five Golden Rules to set yourself up for success!

The Five Golden Rules


Rule #1: Set Goals that Motivate You

When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are slim. Motivation is key to achieving goals.

Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. Without this type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals, leaving you too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to feel a sense of urgency and have an "I must do this" attitude. When you don't have this, you risk putting off what you need to do to make the goal a reality. This in turn leaves you feeling disappointed and frustrated with yourself, both of which are de-motivating. And you can end up in a very destructive "I can't do anything or be successful at anything" frame of mind.



Tip:

To make sure your goal is motivating, write down why it's valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, "If I were to share my goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?" You can use this motivating value statement to help you if you start to doubt yourself or lose confidence in your ability to actually make the goal happen.



Rule #2: Set SMART Goals

You have probably heard of "SMART goals" already. But do you always apply the rule? The simple fact is that for goals to be powerful, they should be designed to be SMART. There are many variations of what SMART stands for, but the essence is this – goals should be:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time Bound

Set Specific Goals

You goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or generalized goals are unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient direction. Remember, you need goals to show you the way. Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up.

Set Measurable Goals

Include precise amounts, dates, etc in your goals so you can measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined as "To reduce expenses" how will you know when you have been successful? In one month's time if you have a 1% reduction or in two years' time when you have a 10% reduction? Without a way to measure your success you miss out on the celebration that comes with knowing you have actually achieved something.

Set Attainable Goals

Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize yourself and erode your confidence.

However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. Accomplishing a goal that you didn't have to work hard for can be anticlimactic at best, and can also make you fear setting future goals that carry a risk of non-achievement. By setting realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to "raise the bar" and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction.

Set Relevant Goals

Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life and career to take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you'll develop the focus you need to get ahead and do what you want. Set widely scattered and inconsistent goals, and you'll fritter your time – and your life – away.

Set Time-Bound Goals

You goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that you know when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that much quicker.

Rule #3: Set Goals in Writing

The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible. You have no excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the word "will" instead of "would like to" or "might". For example, "I will reduce my operating expenses by 10% this year", not "I would like to reduce my operating expenses by 10% this year." The first goal statement has power and you can "see" yourself reducing expenses, the second lacks passion and gives you an excuse if you get sidetracked.



Tip 1:

Frame your goal statement positively. If you want to improve your retention rates say, "I will hold on to all existing employees for the next quarter" rather than "I will reduce employee turnover." The first one is motivating; the second one still has a get-out clause "allowing" you to succeed even if some employees leave.

Tip 2:

If you use a To Do List, make yourself a To Do List template that has your goals at the top of it. If you use an Action Program (see Mind Tools' Make Time for Success! course), then your goals should be at the top of your Project Catalog.)



Post your goals in visible places to remind yourself every day of what it is you intend to do. Put them on your walls, desk, computer monitor, bathroom mirror or refrigerator as a constant reminder. You can even post them in the Mind Tools Club forum, and share them with other members for added motivation.

Rule #4: Make an Action Plan

This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get so focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that are needed along the way. By writing out the individual steps, and then crossing each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal. This is especially important if your goal is big and demanding, or long-term. Read our article on Action Plans for more on how to do this.

Rule #5: Stick With It!

Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity not just a means to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly. Make sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain high.



Key Points

Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and understand why you want it the first place, your odds of success are considerably reduced. By following the Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting you can set goals with confidence and enjoy the satisfaction that comes along with knowing you achieved what you set out to do.

So, what will you decide to accomplish today?
 
Make sure to check out the article! http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_90.htm

MacIntyre & Cowen Real Estate Newsletter - Fun Holiday Factoids

Figgy pudding" has BACON in it!!!

In the Ukraine, it is customary to use an artificial spider and web as part of the Christmas tree decorations. As a spider web found on Christmas morning is believed to bring good luck.



During a typical U.S. holiday buying season, Visa credit cards are used an average of 5,340 times every minute.



Since the Hebrew calendar is lunar rather than solar, Hanukkah falls on a different day each year, anywhere from November to early January on the standard calendar.



Before electric Christmas tree lights were first invented by Edward Johnson, an associate of Thomas Edison in 1882, fir trees were decorated with burning candles. Therefore people didn't usually put up their trees until December 24 because of the risk of fire!



It is estimated that 400,000 people become sick each year from eating holiday leftovers gone bad.



For every real Christmas tree harvested, two to three seedlings are planted in its place



Yuletide-named towns in the United States include Santa Claus, located in Arizona and Indiana, Noel in Missouri and Christmas in both Arizona and Florida.



The guttural sound of the Hebrew letters cannot be duplicated by the English alphabet. For this reason, there are many spellings of this holiday in English and all are correct. Hanukkah can be correctly spelled many different ways, including Chanukah, Chanukkah, and Hanukah.



It takes 44 candles all together to observe all the eight nights of the Chanukah festival. The candles used for lighting Hanukah Menorah are supposed to burn for at least half an hour after the stars come out.



In the 1800's the US Postal Service tried to outlaw Christmas Cards because people were sending so many. They were outraged because they had to hire 16 people just to handle the load!







Births on 25 December:



Humphrey Bogart, actor 1899

Alice Cooper, musician (1945)

Princess Alexandra of Kent, (1936)

Annie Lennox, singer 1954

Sissy Spacek, actress 1949

Bernhard Jr, Prince of Netherlands 1969

Helena Christensen, model 1968

Shane McGowan, singer 1957

Anwar el-Sadat, Egyptian president 1918

Tony Martin, singer/ actor 1914

Robert Ripley, Ripley's believe it or not 1893

Conrad Hilton, hotelier 1887

Alfred Kerr, writer 1867

Johann Herbeck, composer 1831

Patrick S Gilmore, composer 1829





Click Link Below December's Market Watch Newsletter:

http://www.lansing.com/peterm/Dec2011.pdf





MacIntyre & Cowen Team

ASSOCIATE BROKER - Re/MAX

517-999-2675

Fax: 877.334.1685

www.pmachomes.com